Final Fantasy VII: The Black Mage
by Nyavin
Summary: Reno befriends and takes home a stoic black mage before circumstance forces them on an epic quest to save the world with a whacky crew, funded by ShinRa Company. Also Romance I guess?, rated T for language and Reno, may increase later to be on the safe side.
1. In which Reno takes an easy assignment

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:**

First of all, this is going to be a long story. It's already 200 pages and growing. It's also in a constant state of revision, so pardon me if there are any typos. Second, it would be good of you to keep an open mind here. I have added a few things to the world of Final Fantasy VII that we have not previously seen in the compilation, the biggest of which being our main female, a black mage. If the 'non-canonical' aspect of that offends, I apologize, but it is there, if you do not like it, do not read it.

I encourage all fans of FFVII (specifically the Turks) to give this story a chance. It's got a little something for everybody, I think.

Also, this story is going to be lacking in slashy pairings, so if that's a must for your reading, then this probably isn't the story for you.

I've tried very hard to develop these characters and make them my own. It's a bit of a slow start, but once it gets going, it's pretty entertaining. I hope you enjoy this pretty epic story.

**Setting:**  
Takes place about six months after the end of FFVII, before Advent Children.

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It was a simple enough mission. The assignment itself was actually disgustingly simple. It had been intended to be easy, too, he knew. Otherwise Tseng wouldn't have insisted that he didn't need Rude to go with him.

"Shit, Reno, she's just a kid. She's a damn kid. Just go get her and bring her back here."

Reno had frowned at this. "Why does Rufus want a kid?"

"Research. He's trying to find a way to cure Geostigma. Geostigma goes for kids first. He needs the cells of a child with Geostigma, and the cells of a child without Geostigma. That's all I know. Just go get the damn kid."

"But why this girl in particular?" Reno had asked, scrutinizing her picture.

"Because her medical records are spotless. She's never so much as had a cold in her life."

"Maybe she's got special Materia or something." Reno had said, blowing it off.

"Just go get the damn kid, Reno."

"This is a waste of my time, yo."

"Reno… just get your ass out the door."

But here it was…not easy at all.

Reno struck again with his electromag-rod. Again, the woman slapped it away with her walking stick – blunt on one end, fitted with a sharp metallic point at the bottom. She raised a hand and Reno felt himself being thrown backwards, as though punched in the stomach. He hit a tree and thought inwardly that sliding down the bark was probably ruining his jacket.

And why the hell didn't his superiors figure out that the girl would be guarded by a black mage?!?

And not just any black mage… this one was skilled, obviously, and would probably kill him if he didn't do something soon.

_I've got to distract her_…

"I'm not trying to kill you, or hurt her. We just a need a tissue sample."

The woman raised her staff threateningly towards him, the blunted circle at the top glowing menacingly.

"Tissue sample? With ShinRa, that means you'd cut her damn arm off."

The girl she was protecting, a small girl of no more than eight, gasped and hid behind a tree, her two black pig tails swinging.

"What makes you think I'm with ShinRa?"

"I'm not stupid. I see what you're wearing. You're a damn Turk."

_So she's heard of us. __Great._

He took a moment to close his eyes – he feigned wincing to fool her, and went over their first meeting quickly.

He had run into the girl in the woods here outside her hometown. She was quickly followed by this woman, who wore long tan pants that belled, starting at the knee – easier to trip her up, perhaps? – A black cloth jacket that extended just past her elbows – no help there – a tank top of some shiny blue material, and shoes that indicated her skills unarmed would be just as deadly – they were fine slippers, fit for martial arts, and above those were three shiny anklets, each of a different make. Her eyes were a lovely, dark shade of jade, and her face was delicately boned – she was something of an exotic beauty, her skin tone not too fair nor strangely tan. She was in freakishly good physical condition, and there were somewhere between six to seven piercings in each of her ears. She had chocolate-brown hair…slightly darker than average, with parts of it in braids and parts of it not…but it was all tied in a pony-tail at the base of her skull, anyhow – except for the bangs, which fell to just below her chin and were parted to reveal her face.

_If I can get behind her somehow, and get a hold of that hair…maybe I can throw her off long enough to get a hold of her hands – she can't cast spells without her hands…_

"Look, lady, I will make sure they don't hurt her. It's really sick to hurt a kid. I'm not a total creep; I'm a grunt. It's a job. I need the money."

He stood back up, and just as he did so, she charged. It was a close-combat moment…the rod and the staff hit together several times but neither of them made a hit. They made contact over and over – but neither was hurt.

"You're not trying to kill me – why?" She asked.

"What do you want me to say? Because I'd rather bed you first?"

She glared at him. "Pig."

"Because there's no reason for anyone to get hurt, that's why." Reno muttered, shaking his head. This chick was crazy.

Her eyes softened slightly. Fear lumped up in his chest. Sudden change in a woman was never a good thing.

"Then forgive me." She said.

"For what?" he asked, his eyebrows raising.

She disappeared, and he heard a voice behind him say, "For this," right before he blacked out.

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Please keep in mind that in my reviews I am not asking for a critique of the writing style (I am what I am, sadly), and more of a review of content. Reviews where you just tell me you like it are always nice, too, and if you hate it, well… sorry?  
-Nyavin


	2. In which the black mage makes soup

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Review? Please? It'd be awfully nice of you.

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Reno felt his temples thumping, but his body was too tired to allow him to put a hand to his head. He was lying on the ground comfortably. His eyes remained closed, and he realized that he was drifting back into consciousness. He heard two voices not too far from him, and felt warmth – a fire, perhaps?

"So is he a bad man?"

"No, sweet, I don't think he's a bad man."

"But he was trying to hurt you."

"Because I attacked him, darling. I think I mistook his intentions. I don't think he ever wanted to hurt you."

"Then why did he come to get me?"

"It was just an odd job. He's just trying to make his way in the world, sweet, just like you or I."

"Really?"

"Yes, sweet, really. Now you go ahead and lay down here, and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow we will arrive in Midgar."

"Okay." The little girl's voice said agreeably. Reno waited until he heard the little girl's soft breathing slow to a soothing, sleepy pace before he spoke.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Reno said, groaning a little as he turned his head and opened his eyes to face the woman.

She was sitting the ground leaning on one hand and turned to face him, the fire crackling behind her.

"Oh, so you're awake. I'm sorry about that… conflict we had earlier. I've dressed your wounds – they're mainly superficial, I only bothered with the more serious ones – and I've used the little white magic I know to reduce the swelling on the lump I left on the back of your skull."

"I appreciate it, yo." Reno said, moving one hand to cradle the back of his head.

She smiled in response. He decided that he liked her much better when she smiled. It was certainly better than the other side of her he had seen. She gesticulated to his face with a frown. He put a hand up and felt a small cut of some kind.

"I stitched up that part of your cheek, there. I didn't mean to hit you with the sharp end." She stuck out her hand. "My name is Alcestis Mirro."

He took her hand and gave it a small shake. He made sure it was firm, though. He didn't want her to think him weak, even in this state. "Just call me Reno."

"Okay, Reno." She turned around and busied herself with something, and just as he sat up she turned back and handed him a bowl of stew.

Reno took a small taste. He was surprised to find that it was actually pretty good – better than what he usually ate for dinner, at any rate.

"I wish all the people who knocked me unconscious dressed my wounds and fed me." He said. She smiled weakly, but then frowned.

"When you woke up just a minute ago. You said thanks for the vote of confidence?"

Reno swallowed and nodded. "It was nice of you to inform the kid that I'm not the next Sephiroth coming to dice her up, yo. I'm really not a bad guy, you know." His more casual, slangy dialect told her he was starting to feel more comfortable.

Alcestis nodded. "I believe you. I think we can even give you the tissue sample you need. It's for Geostigma research, right?"

Reno's chin bobbed up and down as he chewed on whatever vegetable it was in the stew.

"I figured. Everyone's been asking her a bit of her blood, or dead skin, or hair – all because of her near-perfect immune system."

Reno swallowed again, took a moment to reflect on how good the food felt in his stomach, and asked "So why are you headed to Midgar?"

Alcestis glared off into nothing, and replied "Her parents were killed in some kind of accident a few weeks ago. A friend of mine has been taking care of her, but asked me to take her to another friend in Midgar. I guess she has a friend there who runs an orphanage."

Reno barely choked the surprised sound threatening to escape his lips. "Is her name Tifa Lockhart?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Do you know her?"

Reno grunted. "Yeah, I know her. She's tried to kill me a time or two."

Alcestis' eyes narrowed. "Because she's a part of AVALANCHE. Which means that you _must_ be a Turk."

Reno stabbed an imaginary knife into his heart. "You got me, yo."

"Then I was right to knock you out. All of ShinRa's cronies are compassionless brutes. I ought to knock you out now!" She said. He was surprised at the sheer hatred in her voice, but was more concerned with her reaching for her staff.

Reno dropped the now empty bowl and put his arms over his head. "Settle down, Lady! It's just a job. The Turks don't have crap to do now except play bodyguard for Master ShinRa. I don't know if you've heard – I think he's trying to keep it quiet – but he himself has got Geostigma."

Again, the anger drained from her face as it had during battle. She nodded. "That would make sense. That would explain why he wants the tissue sample."

He focused on her face. "That was a pretty neat trick you pulled, right before you knocked me out, yo."

She blushed slightly, but did not smile. She hardly smiled at all, he noticed. "Teleportation is not widely used among black mages. It's considered a red mage's trick, something cheap or underhanded. I think it's just damn useful."

"I'd say so. I'm glad you're being friendly with me now, believe me, yo."

She inclined her head and looked at him curiously. "You're really not a bad guy, huh? You seem all right."

Reno just stared at her. This woman – though she was relatively attractive and Reno had no objections to her taking a liking to him – had tried to kill him the last time he had been awake.

"Do you trust easily?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I used to, but not so much anymore. It depends."

"On what?"

"Whatever my intuition tells me. I jumped you because I was worried about Lerina, but now that we're not trying to knock each other out, I figure you're an all right sort of guy. Would you have any problem with escorting us to Tifa's?"

Reno nodded. "I can get you into the city without a whole lot of trouble, yo. The guards recognize me as a Turk, and as a result they tend to let me do whatever the hell I want with whoever the hell I want. So… sure, why the hell not?"

Alcestis flashed him a grateful smile, which Reno found made him feel strangely good. _Must be one of those weird things that mages have._

"Thank you, Reno. You go ahead and lay back down. I'm going to stand watch."

Reno started to settle in, but then took a good look at her body language. It showed strength, of course – Reno doubted she would allow for nothing else – but it also showed fatigue.

"Have you been standing watch every night you've been traveling?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You go ahead and sleep, yo. I'll stand watch."

She gave him a deadpan stare. "I don't trust you that much."

Reno put his hands up. "Hey, it's my skin, too. I'd rather have you with me than against me, yo. If you wake up and find I'm not here, you can hunt me down in Midgar and peel the flesh from my bones with your weird staffy thing over there. Besides, you think I'm going to kill you in your sleep? Wander away into the darkness, to fight the monsters alone?"

Alcestis considered it, and went ahead and laid down in the blankets she had made up for Reno.

"If you're not here when I wake up, though, I will hunt you down as you suggested." She warned.

"I expected nothing less. Besides, it'll be peaceful tonight. At this point, the monsters have probably got it figured that you'll wipe them out, yo."

Alcestis nodded one more time, already looking sleepy. Reno watched her drift off to sleep and then turned his attention to the forest.


	3. In which Reno gets a roommate

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **It'd be really cool if I could get a comment here.

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When Alcestis awoke the next morning at dawn, when the first rays of light were beginning to stretch across the sky, the red-headed, wiry, lanky man was sitting on a hunk of wood, his eyes moving around, looking for any kind of threat, appearing as alert as ever. Alcestis moved her gaze to Lerina. She was relieved to find the girl sleeping peacefully, her pigtails still in curls and framing her face in a sweetly innocent way. She had been apprehensive about letting the stranger stand guard, but his logic and her own exhaustion had prompted her to go along with it, and he had stuck around, just as promised.

The remaining stretch to Midgar had been uneventful, except for Lerina's curiosity about various plants (or, as they got closer to Midgar, lack thereof) and the occasional wisecrack from Reno. He was actually rather funny and a bit playful, and he even allowed Lerina to ride on his shoulders for part of the way. Alcestis simply did not know what to make of the red-head. He was gentle with Lerina, and joking with Alcestis, but a fierce fighter when provoked. Eventually, she had to settle for her original conclusion: he was just someone else trying to make their way in the world.

Upon arriving at Seventh Heaven late that evening, Lerina immediately ran over to Tifa.

"You must be Tifa! My mommy always said good things about you."

"Do you really miss your mommy, Lerina?"

"She's in the Lifestream! She's looking out for me, I know she is. Daddy is too. I think you will take good care of me."

She leaped into Tifa's arms and giggled a little as Tifa bounced her while greeting Alcestis. Alcestis and Tifa made some small talk as Reno meandered up to the door frame and leaned on it. Upon seeing him lean there, Lerina leaped from Tifa's arms, ran to the doorway and wrapped her little arms around his thigh in a big hug. He opened his mouth as if about to say something, but chose instead to just smile down at her grinning face.

Tifa stared in shock. "Lerina, this man is not safe to be around." She said, half in warning to Reno as she raised her eyes to his face and brought her fists up slightly.

"Sure he is! He was my chocobo for part of the way here."

Tifa raised her eyebrows at him.

"Wark, wark." He replied.

Alcestis smirked a little with amusement. "We, uh…_bumped_ into Reno on the way here. He looked out for us. Don't worry, Tifa, I don't think he'll do anything."

"I should say not, yo." Reno said while ruffling Lerina's hair. Lerina giggled. "You left a pretty big lump on the back of my head, Alcestis."

"Well, I imagine if you were trying to do something more than disarm me it might've ended differently."

Tifa cocked an eyebrow. "I won't ask."

Alcestis smiled a little and said "You're better off. Do you think Lerina will be all right here?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it. She seems like a fun kid. The other kids will like her."

"She only just lost her parents. Make sure you give her an extra hug or something, okay?"

"No problem. I get the feeling that if she wants one she'll take one." Tifa said. She looked past Alcestis with a small chuckle. Alcestis turned to see Lerina trying to teach Reno some kind of clap game. He was on his haunches, down on her level, and she was holding his wrists, making him bang his palms together and then hit his thighs in some kind of rhythm.

Alcestis smiled fondly on them both, and shook her head a little bit. Yes, he was certainly an interesting character. She turned back to Tifa. "I need a place to stay for a couple of nights. I know you're probably chock full, but-"

Tifa was already shaking her head. "You nailed it. I don't even have floor space for the kids to sleep on. There are a couple of nice hotels-"

"I can take her in." Reno said. Both women turned to see him standing, holding Lerina in one arm while she braided his ponytail. "It's just a few days, right? My apartment was built for two people. No problem."

Tifa nodded at Alcestis, as if to say "Well, you trust him, don't you?" and Alcestis gave Reno a good, long look. He had stood watch as promised. He had been unnecessarily kind to Lerina. And mainly, the look he was giving her right now indicated that he wanted her to trust him – something she found unusual in a Turk. And that was what finally swayed her. "All right. Let's get going."

...:'--Å--':...

"Hope you don't mind dogs," Reno said as he unlocked the door, simultaneously wondering what the hell he had done inviting home a woman he barely knew. Of course, he did it all the time – but that was usually for more recreational things and he was usually drunk at the time. He was relieved to see Alcestis pet his canine, Zan, and even allow him to sniff all over her legs – something that most people hated about dogs.

He took a good look at his apartment – it was like one giant room. The corner to the right was boxed off by walls – a washroom – and the corner to the left was a kitchenette deal. The far off left corner had a waist-high wall enclosing his bed (except for the foot of it) and the far right corner had a television, a couch, a loveseat, and a chair. The place was carpeted except for the kitchenette space and the washroom. And he had clothing on almost every available surface. The place was actually a rather large mess, but hey, why bother cleaning? He figured that she would be comfortable.

After giving Zan one last good pat and wandering in a few steps, Alcestis turned to Reno with a small smile as he closed and locked the door.

"I want to thank you. This is a very generous move on your part, particularly after I attacked you."

Reno brushed off his jacket sleeve and shrugged. "After you healed me up and fed me afterwards? Please. You kept my body functioning and my stomach full – what more could I ask for, yo?"

She allowed her smile to show teeth, the very same smile that gave Reno that strangely euphoric feeling. Damn mages.

"I know it's enough that you're letting me stay, but…might I ask for a shower? I feel filthy."

Reno tried to shake off the weirdly happy feeling. "Yeah, sure, go right ahead. It's the awkward box sticking out of the corner there. I promise I won't intrude. Turk's honor, yo."

"That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one." She propped her staff up between two coat-hooks, careful to leave one of her shoes beneath the pointed metallic tip so that it wouldn't stab the floor. "Besides which, you don't seem like that sort of guy."

"What ever do you mean?" He asked playfully.

"You're a Turk who's not very serious about his job. My guess is recreation equals drinking and the presence of harlots. You probably _would_ bed me, given the chance." She looked at him pointedly with a tiny smirk. "How far off am I?"

He pretended to stab himself in the heart, the same gesture as before. "You got me again, yo."

"So how can I trust that you won't walk in on me?"

"You can lift your hand and hurl me into a tree. I'm not about to try that inside my apartment where you can hurl me into a wall, yo."

"You have a point. I'll try not to be long. Here," she tossed a small pouch at him. "That ought to cover however much water I use."

Reno looked inside. It was 500 gil. That was just fine with him.

"I like your tattoos, by the way." She said with a small, genial smile.

Reno touched his right cheekbone with his right hand. "Thanks, yo."

She stepped into the washroom and closed the door. Reno sat down on the couch and let out a breath. He checked that Lerina's tissue sample was still in his jacket pocket and was relieved to find it still there. He could not actually believe that he had let this woman in his home. What had he been thinking?

_That it was a nice thing to do, she'd be a good ally to have, and, well, she was pretty_. The answer came clearly to Reno's mind. And he had nailed it. She _was_ pretty. If kinda scary.

Not but fifteen minutes later did she exit the bathroom in just her tanktop (which had the skinniest straps Reno had ever seen) and her long tan pants. There were black, silky straps sticking out from underneath her tanktop and curving over her shoulders, and he could imagine that they belonged to her bra. She used a towel to dry her hair, which Reno saw was still half-in, half-out of braids. It was down, though, which made her look decidedly more feminine.

She smiled slightly, and said. "Um…I hate to ask for more than what I already have, but…have you got anything to eat?"

Reno scrambled to his kitchen area. "I've got a slice of meat, if that appeals to you, yo."

"Mystery meat?"

"Basically, yo."

"I'll give it a shot. But you have to eat some of it with me."

"Awesome. We'll die together, yo."

He heated it up, and they ate in near perfect silence for a few moments. Reno felt the need to fill it with some kind of noise.

"Tell me a little about you, yo." Reno said. "You're living with me, I can ask for that much, right?"

Alcestis swallowed a well-masticated piece of the strange meat and nodded. "I suppose. My name is Alcestis Mirro, I was born and raised in a small village on the western continent. It was rather similar to Lerina's village, really, with a forest nearby and the whole bit. I just turned twenty-one years of age a month ago. I discovered I had a penchant for magic when I was young and I've been cultivating that ability ever since. I specialize in black magic, but I do know a tad bit of healing magic – enough to keep myself alive, anyway. I hate ShinRa and people who hurt little kids."

Reno stared at her for a moment. _That sounds rehearsed. __A careful history that tells almost nothing besides the obvious._ "All right then, yo."

"What about you, Reno?"

"I'm a Turk, yo. I do what I'm told and I'm good at fighting with an electromag-rod. I'll be twenty-two pretty soon."

"Yeah, but where'd you grow up?"

"Midgar, yo. In the slums. It sucked."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not. Turned out all right, didn't I?"

"You're a Turk."

"And?"

"You're a hitman, kidnapper, special agent type thing. You murder for a living. I wouldn't classify that as turning out all right."

"SOLDIER might've done that crap, yo, but the worst thing I ever did was try to bring an Ancient to Rufus."

"Was it Aeris?"

"Well of course it was, she was the only damn one around, wasn't she? I think Cloud's still hung up on her, yo."

"Doesn't surprise me. Aeris was kind and beautiful."

"Did you know her?"

"I don't have to. The girl was obviously the soft-spoken type."

"So are you, you don't say much. Bit reserved, yo?"

"Around people I don't know very well."

"Well then continue your line of questioning, yo."

"Reno, what is your work like?"

"At this point? I'm an errand boy."

"Like getting tissue samples from little girls?"

"Or picking up a sandwich for the boss, yeah."

"What was it like before?"

"Same thing, basically. Whatever I'm told to do, I go do it."

"Including murder the opposition?"

"The orders were 'subdue AVALANCHE', if you must know. That doesn't require killing them. Though I could've, if I had gotten one of them alone. But they travel in packs. Oh, well. Moot point now, yo. I never really had anything against them, you know."

"You say that now."

"You're making yourself difficult to get along with, yo."

"I suppose that's true. Apologies." She finished her piece of mystery meat, leaned back and yawned. "I need sleep."

"You take the bed." Reno said almost immediately, and then wanted to slap himself. What the hell was the matter with him? First his apartment, now his own bed?

"Reno, it's your home. I'll take the couch."

Trapped by his own words, Reno shook his head. "No, you take the bed, I'll take the couch. I end up sleeping on the couch over half the time anyway, yo."

Alcestis folded her arms and inclined her head just slightly, a slight frown creasing her features. "You…you are a very interesting man. I'm not quite sure what to make of you."

Reno winked at her and shrugged. "Most women say that."

She shook her head at him. "Just don't look over at the bed until I actually get in it, all right?"

Reno raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell not, yo?"

"Because I don't have any pajama pants, just panties."

"And that's incentive for me not to look, yo?"

"No. The fact that I will cast a nasty spell on you if you do is."

"I guess all's fair in love and war, then, eh?"

She allowed a small, sad smile to creep onto her face, and she muttered rather quietly, "I don't believe in love."

Reno caught what she had said, but he assumed he had not been meant to, and ignored it.

And so, no more than twenty minutes later, the table was cleared, the lights turned off, and both were in their pajamas, Reno setting up shop on the couch and Alcestis sliding herself into his bed, all done in perfect silence.

"Goodnight, Reno."

"'Night, yo."

Reno lay awake on the couch until he heard the sound of her slow rhythmic breathing, and took that to mean that she was asleep. As he himself drifted off, Zan lying faithfully at his feet, he couldn't help but think… _A __woman__ who wants to save children, hates __ShinRa__, has spells coming out all her bodily openings, pays generously for a shower and doesn't believe in love?_

_What the hell kind of an enigma is sleeping in my bed?!_


	4. In which Tseng is a spineless bastard

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** Seriously, people. Reviews. Comments. Even a flame would be fine.

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The next morning when he woke, he realized that his biological clock had gotten him up just in time to head to work. He wandered over to his bed, and saw Alcestis sleeping there. She looked…different, somehow, when she slept. He'd realized that before, when he was standing watch in the woods with her and Lerina, and it hit him again now. She looked more…at peace with herself and her world, he decided. Perhaps she was dissatisfied with her life as it was? That would explain a lot about her body posture…and the aggressive and secretive manner in which she spoke and acted. Perhaps she had a reason for not believing in love… Reno found himself staring off at nothing, and decided it best to dress before waking her.

In his usual lazy fashion, he left the top two buttons undone, and his shirt untucked. He put on the same jacket as yesterday, checked for the tissue sample, and gently shook Alcestis. Her eyes didn't open, but she responded: "Yes, sweetie?"

Reno stared at her with wide eyes. _She must think I'm someone else_. "Alcestis, I'm going to work."

"Be safe, sweetie."

_Okay, too weird. I'm __waking__ her up all the way_. And he gave her a slightly more vigorous shake.

Her eyes flew open. "What is it you need, Reno?"

"I'm going to work. I thought you ought to know so you didn't wake up and think I'd just ditched you. I left the key on the table by the couch so you can come and go. Just be here at 2, I should be coming back around then, yo."

She smiled at him sleepily, a great big smile that gave him the weird happy feeling again.

"Reno, I know I haven't been the nicest to you, but I thank you very much for your kindness. I truly don't deserve it."

Reno smiled back at her, and waved a hand. "It's nothing. Besides, you've more than paid your share of the rent with that sack of gil, yo."

She blinked sleepily, still smiling. "Well, I thought I should pay for it somehow."

He grinned at her. "Maybe you can pay for more of the rent in something else, yo." He raised his eyebrows a couple of times, the innuendo clear as day.

"In your dreams, Turk," she yawned. "Well, have a good day at work, Reno."

He smiled softly at her she closed her eyes and rolled back over. "I'll try, yo." he said quietly.

She sighed a little, and as he left the apartment, he couldn't help but wonder what the hell this woman did to him that he was leaving her alone in his apartment with the freedom to do whatever the hell she damn well pleased.

--Å--

When Alcestis woke up two hours later, she couldn't get the image of Reno standing over her smiling gently out of her head. It was there as she dressed, tied her hair back and raided his fridge for breakfast. She wasn't sure what it was about the man, but he fascinated her. He was so lax about so many things in his life, yet at the same time…he was a Turk. The Turks were a pretty straight laced bunch – or so she had always thought. She wondered if Reno would describe her to his cohorts at work… and if the Turk she had fought not but six months ago would recognize her from his description.

She had fought a Turk just outside Midgar not long ago… She had made it sound like to Reno that she was just meeting Tifa, when in reality the two knew each other quite well. She had been out searching for a particular plant of some kind that Tifa described as an excellent healing salve. She had ran into a young blonde woman hauling a child through the woods bound and gagged.

Alcestis vaguely recalled the woman calling her all sorts of names as Alcestis threw her repeatedly into trees and set her uniform on fire. She had left the woman unconscious when she had made off with the child – one who was inflicted with Geostigma. Tifa had greeted the boy openly and he had thanked Alcestis for rescuing him. And so she had gone to work for Tifa, finding children in need of care, and sleeping night after night in the woods.

Alcestis left Reno's apartment with his key in her pocket and decided to head towards Seventh Heaven. Lerina would enjoy seeing her again, she thought.

--Å--

"What the hell do you mean, 'it's not enough'?" Reno asked, slamming his hands down on Tseng's desk. "I have a freakin' huge tissue sample here. There are more strings of DNA here than there are hairs on your greasy little head! How much more did you want, yo?!"

"Rufus certainly wanted much more than _that_. Probably about 100 times that amount."

"You have got to be _shitting_ me. You'd have to cut her damn arm off to get that amount, yo."

"Whatever is necessary."

Reno glared at him and let out a string of cuss words.

"Your mouth isn't going to satisfy the boss, Reno. Go get the little girl and bring her here."

"This is a load of shit, Tseng. Killing a little girl for her cells? What the f-"

"If that is what is necessary to cure Geostigma-"

"You don't get it, do you, moron?! Geostigma is not your average disease, yo. Having three strings or three million of a little girl's DNA isn't going to cure it one way or the other!"

"Reno, I suggest you calm yourself. You have been given an _order_-"

"So help me, if you _bastards_-you know what? You know what? I'll bring her here. I'll do it. On one condition."

"You are in no position-"

"I'm the only one who knows where she is and I'm probably one of three people on the whole damn Planet she trusts right now. I've got this nailed, yo."

"What the hell do you want, Reno?"

"I'll bring her here, but I have to be present for everything. If you idiots do anything to harm her, I swear to Holy, you people will have some serious freaking problems on your hands, yo."

Tseng stared blankly at Reno. He was at a loss. He'd never seen Reno_ angry_ before.

"Fine. But I have a condition, too."

"Name it, yo."

"We won't harm your little friend. I assume that's why you're so vehement, you like her or something. But you have to bring in the woman in your report, too. The one who was protecting her. Rude will go with you to ensure you make it happen."

Reno frowned. "What will you do with her? Why bother with her, yo?"

"We haven't decided yet. We might ask her to work for us. We might kill her. We're not sure. She sounds an awful lot like the woman in Elena's report, from not too long ago."

Reno shook his head. "The woman hates ShinRa, I will tell you right now. Once she figured out I was a Turk, she wanted blood. Bringing her here would be like bringing Sephiroth in. I'm not sure if anything would stop her from killing us all. Besides that, I wouldn't even know where to find her."

"Probably with the girl, eh? And you said that she ceased hostilities once you convinced her that you weren't going to harm the girl. So she might play nice with you."

"Tseng, you are a spineless bastard."

"It's what I do. Do hurry, Reno, I'd like to get home in time for that new reality show tonight."

"Go to hell, yo!"

Reno was sure to slam the door on the way out.

--Å--

"So do you like the little girl?"

This was about the thousandth question Rude had asked him about the situation, and if he kept it up, Reno felt sure he was going to nail his friend in the head with his weapon.

"Yes, Rude, I like the little girl. She's cute and easily entertained. She refers to me as her Chocobo."

"That's cute, Reno."

"Shut the hell up, Rude."

"And the woman, do you like the woman?"

"She seems all right, yeah."

"I think you actually know where she's at."

Reno glanced at him for a minute. "What makes you say that?"

"You've got a long, brown hair on your jacket."

Reno glared at him, and picked it off. "Yeah, I know where she is, for the most part. Just don't tell Tseng that part, all right, yo?"

"Fine with me. Is she staying with you?"

"Mmhmm."

"Have you laid her yet?"

Reno laughed openly. "Ice queen of the year, yo."

"Think she hates men?"

"Romantically speaking, yeah, yo."

"Any interest in her?"

"She's good-looking enough that I can't get her out of my head. But the part where she hates both my gender and my job kinda puts me off. And the fact that she could probably kill me on a whim if she felt like it kinda gets to me, too, yo."

"So why are you letting her stay with you?"

Reno sighed. "I've been asking myself that for a while, yo. I just… I get this strangely happy feeling whenever she smiles at me. But I'm certain I'm not smitten with her or anything. She's too damn scary for that, yo."

"I've heard that mages have this thing where they can discreetly influence people they want to like them. They do it without realizing it, and most of the time they don't even realize they want the person to like them." Rude said thoughtfully.

"_Really_, yo?"

"So I've read."

"That's messed up, yo. Where do you read this crap?"

"It was Elena's turn to bring in reading material for the break room last week. But you say the woman strikes you as a loner?"

"Mmhmm. Except for kids. She loves the kids, yo."

"Then it's pretty unusual that she wants you to like her, eh?"

Reno laughed a bit. "Must be my charming good looks, yo."

And at that moment, they rounded the corner and entered Seventh Heaven.

"RED-HEAD CHOCOBO!" A familiar voice cried. Lerina ran from the next room and leaped into Reno's arms. Rude smirked. "You've got a way with kids."

"Shut up, yo." Reno hissed at him. He turned to the girl he was holding onto. "How are you, Lerina?"

"HAPPY, MR. CHOCOBO!"

Rude almost lost his composure. "Mr. Chocobo…?"

Reno glared at him. "One word to the guys at work…" Reno warned.

"Blackmail…" Rude muttered, barely concealing his amusement.

Alcestis followed the same route Lerina had taken around the corner to the lobby. "What're you doing here, Mr. Chocobo? I thought you were at work."

"That the woman?" Rude whispered.

Reno gave a small nod.

"You were right." Rude said. "Scary."

"Well… Alcestis, I need to speak with you." Reno put Lerina down and said, "Mr. Chocobo has to talk with Ms. Magic now, mkay?"

"OKAY!"

"So you stay here and talk to Rude, okay? You can call him Mr. Shiny."

"His head is kinda shiny." She giggled. She stuck out her hand. Rude just stared at her. "Hello, Mr. Shiny!"

Rude patted her awkwardly on the head. She wrapped her arms around his leg, and he sighed. Reno was right. She was unbearably cute.

Reno and Alcestis stood in the back corner.

"Reno, what is it, I thought you got what you needed, what-"

Reno grit his teeth. "I know, I thought so, too. I threw a damn fit, yo."

"So, why…?"

"They want more samples. Not just skin cells, a small bit of muscle tissue, marrow samples, blood samples. I agreed to bring her in on a condition, yo."

"Which is what? This better be good, Reno, or I swear-"

"Anyone who hurts her gets a broken jaw from me. If they do anything to harm her in any way, I take her away, they never see her again. I get to stand guard over her. I promise you she won't get hurt, yo."

"Okay, so what did you have to give up in return for her not being harmed at all?"

"I have to bring you in with me, yo."

"And what's to stop me from slaughtering all of them?"

"Nothing, basically. Nobody but Mr. Shiny – eh, Rude – knows that you're staying with me. They think I have no idea where you're at, yo."

"Can Mr. Shiny be trusted?"

"Rude's the best friend I've got. He'd never turn me in for crap, yo."

Alcestis stared him straight in the eye. "You realize that I never trust anyone as much as I'm going to have to trust you for this."

Reno met her gaze openly. "You're going to have to trust somebody sometime, Alcestis. Especially if you want to go on protecting and rescuing kids, yo. You know that I won't let anything happen to her."

"That's not the question. The question is, will you let something happen to me?"

Reno shook his head simply. "Look, everyone in that office is going to be damned scared of you. _I'm_ damned scared of you. I'm not sure if I can trust you not to kill me if something happens that we weren't expecting. But you have my word, yo, that if anything happens to you that Rufus is going to have a few good assassins after his head."

Something weird happened at that point that Reno couldn't hope to explain. Something in her eyes changed, her demeanor morphed, and he was sure that she was seeing something far away. He'd heard that seers blanked out like this sometimes when they had a vision, but he was certain it wasn't that. That was a passive magical tool, the sort of thing that Alcestis expressed as having no appeal to her.

When her eyes came back into focus, she stared very hard at Reno's face. "You…you are…"

And she walked off abruptly, and took Lerina by the hand, and asked Rude where to go.


	5. In which Rufus gets knocked around a bit

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** Oh my Holy, I got a review! Hooray::does a little dance:: Thank you, heaven-monument, I hope you continue to like what you see. ::does a little dance again::

-------------------------------------------------------

The entire way back to ShinRa, Reno wondered exactly what he was.

And on finally arriving there, when the guards approached Alcestis, she blasted them into a wall.

Tseng came out of the elevator door with a gun pointed at her head.

"I am here, fool, but I am here on my terms." Alcestis announced plainly to him.

"Very well. You four, in the elevator, now."

As they ascended, Tseng spoke in a calm voice. "Reno, you will stay with little Lerina here. She will not be harmed, but since you obviously don't trust the medicinal scientists here, you may oversee her procedure. It will be a removal of a very small amount of blood, bone marrow and muscle tissue, just as we agreed. That will be more than enough for the scientists to play with.

"Rude, you are to stay with Miss, uh…"

"Mirro." Reno and Alcestis supplied at the same time.

"Very well. Rude, you are to stay with Miss Mirro. She will have the pleasure of speaking with Rufus himself."

Reno leaned over and whispered into Rude's ear, barely audible. "If anything happens to Alcestis, I will break your face."

Rude nodded. "Don't worry." He whispered back.

The elevator dinged, and they all went their separate ways.

--Å--

"Miss Mirro. You have caused quite a bit of trouble for us here recently." Rufus began. He was seated behind his desk, one arm carefully covered. Alcestis stood on the other side of the desk, Rude just behind her.

"Good." Was her response.

"And as I understand it, you are fairly powerful."

"If you're trying to persuade me to work for you, you can forget it right now."

"I've also been informed that you would very much like to kill everyone here."

"Just you, mainly."

"Is there anyone here that you would spare in your bloodlust, madam?"

"Anyone of you bastards that didn't appear to be responsible for some atrocity."

"So you are both violent and merciful. Interesting."

"What is your point, asshole?"

"Tell me how it is that you are interested in both slaughter and mercy."

"There are three kinds of people in the world. There are the innocent, the redeemable, and the irredeemable."

"So in your mind, there are only those who have not committed crimes, those who have committed crimes but can change, and those who need to be eliminated."

"You are skewing what I have said, but it could be referred to that way."

Rufus nodded. "And you won't work for us?"

Alcestis' face screwed up in disgust. "Absolutely not."

"Very well. Rude, kill her."

Rude's eyebrows soared above his glasses.

"Are you kidding, sir?"

"No. I said kill her."

Alcestis looked at both of them. "This is ridiculous."

"Sir, Reno will break my jaw if I do."

"And why's that?"

"She came here under the impression that she was not to be harmed. Reno does not like it very much when his word is broken."

"I don't care. Kill her."

"Mr. ShinRa, I think you underestimate me." And Rufus hit the wall behind him, and his chair followed him to hit him in the stomach.

"Mr. ShinRa. You are an intelligent man, but not a very wise one. You are a very powerful man, socially and economically speaking, but not a very ethical one. Tell me, sir. Are you redeemable, or irredeemable?"

"The answer decides basically whether or not I live, doesn't it?"

"That is your determination."

"Well I would like to live, if you don't mind."

"Mr. ShinRa. If you do not stop kidnapping children I will be forced to come here and eliminate every bone in your body. I will torture you mercilessly and your life will end with you as a pathetic broken man. Your utter disregard for life is going to land you in a very tight spot rather soon, and not just because of me. There are many others who would gladly take the opportunity I have now and put a bullet through your head. You will make your company treat children correctly. If you ask politely for gene samples instead of kidnapping kids, I'm sure your operations will go much smoother. You use the power of brute force to attain and maintain your goals. That power is going to turn on you abruptly and if I am the vessel through which it is channeled then so be it, I shall take pleasure in that fact. You will change the way this company works or you will face a gruesome fate. Do we have an understanding?"

And at that moment, Rufus ShinRa suffered a horrifying flashback. Sephiroth was there, warning his father that his life would now end because of his deeds, his experiments, his mistreatment of everything… and now there was another here who didn't even need Jenova cells to knock him on his ass.

"You have to understand that foremost, I am a business man."

"And yet you are still the most impoverished man on the Planet."

"And how is that?"

"Any man who does not have the good will of his fellow men will have no one to pick him up when he falls. And you will fall, Mr. ShinRa, if you do not change."

"If I fall, I can pay someone to pick me up."

"If you believe that your money will save you, then you are indeed irredeemable." The blunted ball at the top of her staff began to glow menacingly, a multitude of colors casting strange light in every direction.

"Regardless…I… I will do… as you ask…there is some merit in the things you say."

"You should hope so, for your own benefit." and as Alcestis exited his office with Rude following, he could hear her say just before the door closed "You know, Rude, I never thought I would ever meet the scum of the Planet."

--Å--

Reno sat with Lerina in his lap, and she scrunched up her nose in a most adorable fashion when the needle touched her. Reno had inspected the needle himself – they wouldn't be injecting anything in, only taking a slight bit of material out.

Lerina watched some of her muscle get sucked out…then some bone marrow…then some blood…and when the needle was removed, Reno took out a bandaid.

"I want a red-one…just like your head!"

Reno smiled a little and sighed. He fished around until he found a bright red bandaid and he put it over the little needle mark. She grinned.

"Let's go, Mr. Chocobo."

The scientist behind him grinned evilly and mouthed "Mr. Chocobo?" at Reno.

Reno mouthed "Go to hell, yo." at him as he took Lerina's hand and led her down to the lobby.

-Å--

Reno and Lerina waited in the lobby until Alcestis and Rude came out of the elevator. Reno locked eyes with Alcestis who nodded, and then with Rude, who mouthed the words "Scary as hell" at him. Reno cocked an eyebrow at him, and then turned back to Alcestis.

"What'd you do?"

"I knocked Rufus on his ass. Let's just say that no one at ShinRa will ever harm a child again."

Reno narrowed his eyes at her. He had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but from the look on Rude's face, he inferred that violence was involved.

"I've got to finish up some stuff here. Go ahead and take Lerina home."

"Yours or hers?"

Lerina grinned. "Can I go to Mr. Chocobo's?"

Reno patted her on the head. "Maybe some other time, sweetie. Mr. Chocobo and Ms. Magic should have a private talk this evening."

And so Alcestis and Lerina went one way, and Rude and Reno another.

In the elevator, back up to their floor, Reno focused on Rude.

"Did she do the throw-into-a-wall thing?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"She's fond of doing that."

Rude chuckled as they stepped out of the elevator.

-Å--

"Ms. Magic, why do you look at Chocobo funny?"

They were not two steps out of the ShinRa building, and already the little girl was asking her a loaded question.

"What do you mean, sweet?"

"When you see him, your eyes get all funny. You look…different."

Alcestis knew exactly what the girl was talking about. It was not an obvious thing, and usually only creatures as innocent as children noticed.

As a black mage, she had the power to summon a thunderstorm to demolish a small city. She had the power to create fires so large and so hungry that they could bring down an entire forest. She could even summon nasty monsters on occasion.

But with such power came other prices… using a destructive power increases sex drive, using a healing power increases the need for being social with others, summoning a violent creature brings on excessive fatigue…the more powerful the creature, the greater the feeling of exhaustion.

Most people did not experience these side effects to any noticeable degree, but Alcestis had dedicated her life to using magic, so they were quite prevalent. Typically, Alcestis could suppress these things. Sex drive was easily ignored – when was the last time she saw a man she actually thought was attractive?

_Two minutes ago_.

Alcestis shook the thought from her head. She almost never bothered with summoning, and when she did, a little extra sleep was no problem.

But now…she'd actually used a healing power. A lot of it, actually, to stop the bleeding inside Reno's skull…and now she was inexplicably drawn to him. She'd known the man two days – two days! – and she couldn't stop herself from wanting to know more about him, to speak with him, to spend time with him. She was not a social being. Furthermore, he was a Turk. A goddamn Turk! She was getting friendly with a Turk! What the hell?!

And yet…the feeling persisted.

"Lerina, Chocobo is a very interesting man. He-"

"Do you have a crush on him?"

"_What_?"

"Do you like-like Mr. Chocobo?"

"I-"

And Alcestis had to stop herself. She wanted to say no. Rather desperately, actually. But she wasn't sure. She actually wasn't sure. She wanted to kick herself.

A turk. Two days! Barely that. With a Turk! He was a freaking Turk she had known for two days!

"I don't know, Lerina. I just don't know."

-Å--

Reno came into the apartment around six, much later than he had originally planned, and found Alcestis by the only window in the whole thing, half sitting on the window sill, staring out at the last rays of light pouring over the city.

"Look, I'm really sorry about today, I have no idea-"

"I believe you."

She cut him off simply, and there was silence.

"Lerina had a good time making faces at the medics, yo."

"Sounds like her."

"She wanted a red bandaid, yo. Said she wanted a chocobo-head color."

A slight, barely-existent smile crossed her lips. "Cute, isn't she?"

Reno nodded, though he knew she couldn't see him. "Very, yo."

Alcestis sighed, and frowned at the city. Reno reflected that the sunlight made her look somewhat more at peace. Almost like when she slept.

"Is something wrong?"

Alcestis shook her head.

"No. I think…I think it's supposed to be right. I think this is where I'm supposed to be at this point in my life. But, at the same time…it's not what I expected. It's not what I want…or…is it?" She stared contemplatively out the window.

Reno's eyebrows raised. _Let scary mages alone, yo_. He thought to himself.

He warmed up some more mystery meat and put it out on the counter. He pulled out a bottle of something, and not caring about whether it was alcoholic or not, he sucked the whole thing down in one go. When he turned back, she was still staring at the window.

"Midgar's a little ugly for you to be staring at it that long."

She didn't turn, but she did speak. "Reno, have you ever…" her voice trailed off.

"Ever what?"

"Have you ever felt like…you were at a turning point? Where something needed to change…_you_ needed to change…and that you just needed a catalyst?"

Reno walked across the apartment and took a seat on the couch, not more than eight feet away from her.

"Kindof. What do you think your catalyst is?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I've found it, but I don't want to say anything if I'm wrong." She shook her head. "What the hell am I even saying?"

"No idea, yo. Nobody knows your head better than you."

"Yeah, well, maybe somebody should, because I obviously don't know what the hell I'm talking about." She looked at him. "I feel like it's time for something in my life to change. I want to become a part of something bigger than myself, than my small way of living. I want to be _involved_."

"In what?"

She turned her eyes back to the window, and her eyebrows rose slightly as she replied: "I don't know."

Reno gave her a good look. She was brooding. She was pensively brooding. And that was weird. Too weird for Reno. Reno was used to stupid, easy women…and bitches like Elena. This chick defied classification…she was simply messed up.

But he would be damned if anyone would live in _his_ apartment and sit around brooding. He was _not_ Vincent Valentine and he would _not_ have it in his place of residence.

"Alcestis, I think that you should spend some more time with Tifa Lockhart."

Step one: Focus her in a new direction.

She looked at him, slightly surprised. "And why is that?"

"Because you want to be part of something bigger than yourself, and you know what? Tifa has helped save the damn Planet. I'm sure she can find you something. A place in AVALANCHE, maybe? Maybe you need a job. Tomorrow, take a walk around Midgar. See if there's anything here that appeals to you."

She blinked at him. He was doing it again. He was trying to be helpful. What the hell kindof Turk is helpful to someone who had previously thrown them into a tree?

"And, uh…the weekend after next, I'll take you out around Midgar myself. I know the city better than you do, right? I'll figure out a way for you to help save the world, yo."

Alcestis shook her head at him. "I was right."

"What?"

"What I was going to say earlier, in Seventh Heaven…what I…_saw_…what I felt there…I was right."

He frowned at her.

"Maybe later, Reno. Much later."

…:'-Å--':…

The following day, Reno woke up to the smell of food. Good, real, warm food.

"What the hell are you doing, yo?"

"I got up early, went out, bought supplies, and now I am making breakfast."

"You have got to be kidding."

Reno rolled off the couch and stumbled over to his small table in his pajamas. Fried eggs. Sausages. Toast. And pancakes.

He stared at her, open-mouthed. "You can cook?"

"Every once in a while."

"Wow. I had no idea that I picked a cooking woman to invite home." He laughed a little bit. "If I'm not mistaken, you're going to need help eating all of this."

"I made enough for two."

"Oh, so it's all for me, yo?" Reno said.

She looked at him, surprised for a moment. Then she laughed. For the first time ever, Reno heard her laugh. He felt the strangely happy feeling again, but this time so intense that it gave him goosebumps.

"You can have however much you want." She said. "Tell me, what happened at work yesterday after I left?"

She sat down across from him and they began to dish food onto their plates.

"Well, I went into the breakroom after filing a complaint about ShinRa's misuse of children-"

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, what were they thinking they were going to do with Lerina? It was messed up. Anyway, I walked into the break room and Elena tried to slug me, but I tripped her. Said she'd run into you before. Was all upset that she didn't get a go at you."

Alcestis nodded. "I imagine. I left her unconscious and on fire."

Reno's eyebrows raised. "Really? I'm impressed. And glad to hear it. Elena's a real bitch, yo."

Alcestis smiled. "I could tell."

"That's basically it. Rufus sent everybody in the building a memo. There are to be no more kids in the building for any reason. Rude told me you scared the crap out of him."

"Rude or Rufus?"

"Both, yo. I don't know if you realize it, but you are one damn scary lady."

Alcestis nodded. "I realize it. It's how I get my way much of the time."

"Like conning me into letting you stay here?"

Alcestis' mouth dropped. And then she smirked. "I used my secret mage powers to manipulate your mind."

"I sometimes think you do. I get a weird happy feeling whenever you really smile, y'know."

Alcestis' face went passive and she stared at the salt shaker for a moment. "Really?" she murmured. "Then that must mean…"

"What? What does that mean, yo?"

"It means I want you to like me. Which is ridiculous."

"Am I that ugly?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, it's just that…well, Reno, you're a Turk. You are one of the hitmen for the association that I consider to be the cause of basically all evil on the Planet at this point in time. It just seems unlikely that I'd want you to like me. But apparently, I did, even before I realized it."

Reno shrugged. "Must be my charming good looks."

Alcestis focused on her food. "Must be."

"My rampant sex appeal. Come on, you know you want a piece of this, yo."

"Mmm." She replied, clearly not listening.

Reno studied her face for a minute. "Look, I'm a pretty light-hearted, shallow, facetious person. But I know when somebody's got a problem. So just work with me."

"Reno, I think I would like to live here on a more permanent basis than a couple of weeks." She said, meeting his eyes.

Reno smiled at her. "I'm that good-looking, huh? Just give me 100 gil once a month for the rent costs. Wait, you're already covered for the next five months."

Alcestis sat back, relieved. Realization dawned on Reno.

"So that's why you made breakfast. You were trying to soften me up."

Alcestis nodded sheepishly. He grinned.

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, yo."


	6. In which Alcestis is a card shark

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Mmm, I'm sorry that the last chapter apparently had some issues with the apostrophes, it looked all right on my end. I hope it's fixed with this chapter.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Alcestis had wandered about Midgar, just as Reno had suggested. The only truly interesting place she had seen was a church over by the slums – there were flowers growing in it. She was under the impression that nothing _grew_ in Midgar. What really intrigued her about it though, was that she swore she saw someone inside it, wearing a pink dress, but when she did a double-take there was no one there.

And so she returned to Reno's apartment around four-thirty, to wait for the arrival of her new…yes, she would dare say it, now…_friend_.

Around five, Reno came in with a familiar face – Rude – and found that Alcestis had all kinds of materia spread out over his coffee table. She appeared to be sorting it by function.

"Alcestis, Rude's sticking around for dinner tonight." He turned to his friend. "How do you feel about Mystery Meat, yo?"

"Look on the counter, Reno." Alcestis said, carefully ordering her summoning materia.

And there it was. A perfect dinner. Sitting there, all made up. It was potatoes and meat and vegetables. Reno looked at his friend and mouthed the word, "crazy."

"There's enough for you too, Rude, pending you don't eat much more than Reno does."

"Oh, I think I eat less than Reno. He's a pig."

"Oink, oink, whatever, just let me at it!" Reno announced, taking a plate from the counter and digging in.

"Rude, you can have the other plate, I'll make myself another one in a minute. Reno, be sure to toss any scraps left over to Zan."

Rude set down at the table with his friend who was eating ravenously. He spoke in a low voice. "You need to keep this one."

Reno nodded. "Did I pick the right woman to invite home or what?" He managed between mouthfuls. He tossed a small hunk of meat at Zan, who eagerly caught it in his mouth and wagged his tail.

After a couple of minutes, Reno saw that she had scooped away the materia somewhere – he had no idea where she could be hiding it – and Alcestis sat down at the table with them, pulling out another plate and making herself up a pleasant meal.

"I had no idea you knew how to cook like this." Reno said, chewing swiftly.

Alcestis shrugged. "You learn how to make things in the countryside edible when you have no home for a while. Here, everything is processed, so over half the preparation time is cut out. It took me twenty minutes."

Reno swallowed and grinned. "You are incredible."

Rude nodded. "I can't even make a proper microwave meal in twenty minutes. This is great."

Alcestis blushed a little. "Well, thank you. It's kind of nice to be feeding someone besides myself, I suppose." She paused, and then asked "So how was work today?"

"Elena tried to take a piece of me, again. Said she wants me to bring you in again so that she can take you out."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Rude threw in. "You could take her easily."

"Please do, would you?" Reno added. "She's such a bitch. Gets on my nerves, yo."

"She was dragging a child bound and gagged through the woods when I met her." Alcestis said disdainfully.

"Probably because she can't handle a kid."

"I think she's just incapable of being nice." Rude said.

"Let's kill her."

"I never imagined that Turks had such views about their co-workers." Alcestis commented.

"Oh yeah." Reno said. "We hate everybody, don't we, Rude?"

Rude shrugged. "They aren't so bad all the time. But they could be better. Tseng is something of an ass."

"No kidding, yo."

"Oh, and Rude, thanks for not actually trying to kill me when Rufus told you to."

Reno's eyebrows raised. "Rufus actually told Rude to kill you?"

Rude nodded. "I figured it wouldn't be worth the effort. Alcestis would just toss me into a wall and you'd break my jaw."

"Damn right." Reno said, finishing off his potatoes.

Rude sat back, his meal finally finished. "Thank you. That was the best I've eaten in a long time."

Alcestis nodded. "Anything I can do." She finished off her own meal, collected the empty plates and threw them unceremoniously into the sink.

Reno leaned back. "How about a game of Chocobo Run?"

"Oh, so not only do you drink and whore, but you gamble, too?" Alcestis said.

Reno grinned.

"You're a real class act, Reno."

"And you're living with me. What does that say about you?"

She smirked. "You're ridiculous."

Rude put a small sack onto the table. The _chink_ noise made it obvious that it was Gil.

"Twenty Gil. Dealer's fee starts the pot." And Rude began to toss cards at each person there.

"Do you know how to play, Alcestis?" Reno said, picking up and sorting his cards.

She sighed. "It's been a while. Refresh my memory."

"Whoever has the ten of flames starts – besides that, the players are forbidden to look at their cards. The player to the left makes a bet as to whether the next card will be higher or lower. The player to the right lays out the next card. If the player to the left was correct, they get to keep their money, if not, it goes into the pot. The lowest you can bet is five gil, yo. That pattern continues until the last card. The last card, everyone makes a bet as to whether or not it will be higher or lower than the one before it, yo. If you bet correctly – it's a chocobo run, you take the pot. More than one person is right, you split the pot equally. If nobody gets it, than it's a bust. You play five hands, yo. If the last hand is a bust, then everybody splits the remainder of the pot. Remember, there are five suits – ice, fire, thunder, earth and water. Values are one through twenty, yo."

Alcestis nodded. "Okay, I remember, now. Let's play."

Rude laid out the ten of flames. Alcestis was the player to the left. "I bet…hm…twenty gil that it will be higher."

Her coins chinked out onto the table. Reno laid down the twelve of thunder. She kept her coins.

Rude was now the player to the left, as Reno had laid out the card. "10 gil that it will be lower."

Alcestis laid down the eighteen of water. Rude nudged his gil towards the middle – 30 gil in the pot.

Reno bet, he was wrong. 60 gil in the pot.

Alcestis bet, she was right. 60 gil in the pot.

Rude bet, he was wrong. 85 gil in the pot.

Reno bet, he was right. 85 gil in the pot.

Alcestis bet, she was right. 85 gil in the pot.

Rude bet, he was right. 85 gil in the pot.

Reno bet, he was wrong. 120 gil in the pot.

The game went and went and went, hand after hand.

Last card.

1000 gil in the pot.

The last card had been the nineteen of leaves.

Alcestis nudged out 20 gil. "Higher."

Rude and Reno both shook their heads. The odds were against her. They each contributed ten gil, and bet lower.

Rude laid out the last card.

It was the twenty of ice. Alcestis took the pot.

"1020 gil for me." She said. She smirked a little.

"You're a shark, yo." Reno said. "Where did you learn how to count cards?"

She shrugged.

Rude frowned. "Reno and I have been playing this game for years, but we've never been able to count all 100 cards in a game. Not without a pad of paper, anyway."

She grinned sheepishly. "Let's just say that before I began traveling I amassed a small fortune."

The two Turks stared at her deadpan.

She grinned awkwardly.

"Okay." Rude said. "Now that I'm broke…I'm going home."

"Hold on," Alcestis said.

She scooped up the original sack that he thrown the beginning of the pot in, and filed in some of her newly-attained coins. _Chink! Chink! Chink!_

"500 gil for a good game." She said, smiling.

She pushed another 500 at Reno. "More of the rent." And she pocketed the final twenty.

"A generous winner. Let's hope she wins every time we play, yo." Reno said.

Rude stuffed the small sack inside his coat. "Let's. See you at work, Reno. Nice seeing you, Alcestis."

And the new roommates smiled and waved goodbye at Rude as he left the apartment. Alcestis rested her head on her fist and looked at Reno.

"Does Rude come home with you often?"

"About once a week, yeah. Usually we spend the time getting thrashed, but this was all right, too, yo."

Alcestis smiled, and yet inwardly, frowned. She thought the social activity of doing something recreational with Reno and his co-worker would fulfill the social ache that the healing magic had left her with. Instead, it made her hunger for it more. She wanted to be even more social, which was unusual. Which made her conclude that it was because she genuinely wanted to spend more time with Reno and anyone else; that she truly wanted to spend more time around people.

Reno stacked the cards neatly, and then made a face. "Eh. Rude left his cards. I totally forgot that they weren't mine."

"Just leave them on the table and remember to take them to work tomorrow."

"Bright idea, yo." Reno yawned, and checked the clock on the wall. "Holy crap. It's already nine."

Alcestis pulled the large tie out of her hair, allowing it come forward to the sides of her face, half-in, half-out of braids. "What time are you going to work tomorrow?"

"I have to be there at eight tomorrow morning."

"That's later than usual."

"Rufus is being weirdly generous. Did you do something to him?"

"Not on purpose. Maybe accidentally."

"You know, Alcestis, the fact that you do magic accidentally sometimes kind of scares me."

"I thought the fact that I did it on purpose sometimes kind of scared you."

"You got me there, yo."

She stared off into space for a moment. "I told him that in spite of his money, he was still very poor. Any man who does not have the goodwill of their fellow men will have no one to pick them up when they fall. I had the staff at that point."

"Was it doing the glowy thing?"

"Probably. I was trying to scare him."

"Maybe you changed his way of thinking or something. Whatever. Nicer Rufus is good for everybody."

Alcestis nodded, and rotated her shoulder. It popped, and she winced. "Agh…it hasn't done that in a while."

Reno stood up, and brushed himself off. He threw his new sack of Gil into the fork drawer, and pulled Alcestis' chair out from the table, her still on it. She frowned at him. And before she could do a thing, he picked her up.

"Reno, what the hell are you doing?!" As he walked, her medium-sized figure bouncing slightly in his arms.

He dropped her gently onto his couch (and the six articles of clothing residing there), and pointed a finger at her. "In my experience, only people who need to relax have popping joints. Especially shoulders. You have got yourself wound tight about something and you are going to stay in this apartment until you've loosened yourself up."

Alcestis crossed her arms. "And what do you recommend?"

"Well, I'd recommend a glass of good, strong liquor, but for some reason I don't think you'd go for that." He sat down on the end of the couch by her feet and put his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands. "You know what? No. That's stupid. You like nature. You've spent most of your life in the outside world, right? You need something growing. Something to nurture. Besides Zan." Zan laid lazily on Reno's feet, and rolled over on his back so that Reno would scratch his tummy. Reno did so absent-mindedly. "I got it!" He turned his head to Alcestis, who gave him an "Oh, really?" look while he continued to pat Zan. "I saw a little tree once…it had magical properties or some crap, and it only grows if someone magical tends to it. Or if you bury materia in the soil, but I figure the latter is better for it, yo."

Alcestis stared at him in wonder. "You've actually heard of the tree of the Fallen Star?"

"Yeah. The leaves are red. ShinRa is raising a couple. It's supposed to be able to heal a great many diseases, but it doesn't grow more than two foot tall. ShinRa's been doing research to see if it can help heal Geostigma."

"Reno?"

"What is it, yo?"

"Why are you trying to help me so much? I mean, it's enough that you're allowing me to intrude upon the place you live, and eat your food-"

"Actually, I'm eating the food you make."

"-and allow me to curse the place you work and knock your boss out of his chair, and trust me enough not to cast a spell on you in the middle of the night and let me sleep in your bed when it's your apartment, but why would you try to actually help me?"

Reno leaned back on the couch for a moment, her toes tickling the small of his back. "Because…I can't get you out of my head. I think about you when I'm at work and I wonder if you're okay." He gave Alcestis a good, long look. "Because you're at a point in your life where you're not really certain about your place in the world, and I hate seeing people in that position, yo. I've been there. It sucks. Besides which, you're right, you _are_ living in my apartment, and it would be stupid not to help you feel happy. I don't want to live with a brooding, bitter mage. That'd suck."

Alcestis gave him a small half-smile. He felt a pleasant tingling sensation go down his spine. "Well, regardless…thank you. I need someone like you right now."

Reno grinned. "I know. Who _doesn't_ need a sexy red-head?"

She threw a pillow at him. "Oh, come on." He said. "You can't tell me you don't think I'm good-looking, yo. Why else would you want to stick around so bad?"

One of his dirty shirts from two days ago came flying off the coffee table to hit him in the face.

"I can't believe you're teasing me." She said, smiling yet looking offended at the same time.

He pulled the shirt off his face and leaned closer to her. "You like it."

"Shameless."

"You bet."

"You remember what happened the last time you told me to bet, Reno?"

"You cleaned me out."

"Chocobo Run's a great game, isn't it?"

"Shut up, yo."

And there was silence between the two, but for once, it was a comfortable silence.

"Reno, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"I know you're good-looking enough to bring home easy women any night of the week. And I get the feeling that that was basically the norm in here, too. So why hasn't it happened in the three days I've been here?"

Reno removed the dark goggles from his forehead, and massaged the small red marks they had left there. "I don't actually know. I have thought about that, yo. I think it's because I want you to think of me as better than that. Don't know why I'd care, but I guess I do."

He looked her straight in the eye, and Alcestis felt a strange pull towards him that she'd only felt once before in her life. And more than ever, she desperately wanted to ignore it.

"Plus, you know, it'd be rude to be busy with a lady on the couch while you're trying to sleep on the bed."

"Disgusting."

"Unless you wanted to come join us."

"Reno, you are awful."

"Or am I awesome? Hard to decide, isn't it, yo?"

She inclined her head at him, a few strands of hair and a braid flopped over onto her face, tickling her cheek. She gave a little smile and sighed. "Sometimes."

Reno gave her a cocky grin. She gave him a not-very-gentle nudge in the back with her feet. He shook his head at her, the stupid grin never leaving his face.

"I think I need to get some sleep." Alcestis said, and yawned a little. "I've got a big day, tomorrow."

Reno frowned. "How's that?"

She smiled at him a little, and he felt a pleasant sensation in his fingertips. "I'm going to do as you suggested and spend tomorrow with Tifa. Or get a hold of her, anyway."

He smirked in return. "I'm just full of great ideas."

"You're full of something, for sure."

"Hey!" Reno said, standing up indignantly.

She made her left hand into a tight fist and used it to make a small, jerky upwards motion a little. She disappeared, reappearing not a second later over his bed and falling onto it, the springs bouncing her up and down a few times. She waved over at Reno, who was shaking his head at her, as he found himself doing often.

"I thought mages weren't supposed to use magic for anything non-productive."

"That was very productive. It saved me a whole eighteen steps."

"And you say it with a straight face, too. I'm proud of you."

She gave him a wide smile. "Goodnight, Reno."

"G'night, yo."

Reno settled down on his couch again, Zan leaping up to lay across his lap. He flipped channels, the volume on low, searching for something to waste time with. _Alcestis is a strange chick. __Weird, weird, weird.__ She was awfully playful this evening. She usually seems like she hates the world, but not tonight, yo. Maybe she's found whatever it is she's looking for. __Naw__, that's stupid…What the hell is there of value in __Midgar__? Eh, __gotta__ head to work tomorrow…I wonder if Elena will try to punch me again? Would be __kinda__ funny if she did, yo… Maybe I'll just knock her on her ass and see if she backs off… or report her to Tseng. He'd love that. Having to discipline his little girlfriend for trying to take out the second-in-command…_

And so, whilst pondering tomorrow, Reno fell asleep leaning back on his couch, Zan snoring quietly on his lap.


	7. In which Reno shouts about pink panties

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **This chapter is a little on the fluffy side, but there's the beginnings of the main plot thrown in with also a little semi-serious conversation. The plot will get more intense and plotlike very soon, I promise .

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Alcestis rolled out of bed, wondering what time she had awoken. She needed an alarm or something… The light, barely-existent rays of sun told her that she had gotten up just in time to head to Tifa's…Tifa had called the night before, saying that she had been planning to show Alcestis around herself, but that she wanted to start early so that she could spend evening with the children and Cloud, who was coming back from a particularly far delivery that afternoon. Alcestis changed her undies, tossing the dirty pair into one of Reno's unused drawers, and made a mental note to find someplace to wash them soon – they were beginning to pile up. She donned the rest of her clothing, and ambled over to the couch.

She leaned over the back of it to see Reno sleeping like a rock, his mouth wide open and his body at what she considered to be something of an awkward angle. Apparently Reno considered it comfortable enough, as he slept quite soundly. He had actually showered the previous night, and his red hair was still slightly damp; his ponytail in the back was still just barely stuck to the side of his neck. She smiled a little. He had announced the night before that Rufus was asking them to come in not at seven or eight, but at nine. She knew he'd be sleeping for at least a couple of more hours, and unwilling to wake him, she left him a note and a muffin on the kitchenette's little table.

She sighed. The little table where she and Reno and Rude had played their first game of Chocobo Run together just a few days earlier. Evidently, Rude had asked to make it a weekly or at least monthly event. Perhaps Reno would bring a few more co-workers home for the game. Alcestis reflected that it would be rather funny to see Tseng in a social setting. She wondered briefly if he could count cards.

Making sure her key was safe inside her jacket, she glanced back at Reno once more where he slept, and saw that Zan was sleeping on his feet. _Now why didn't I notice that before?_

_Because you were looking at that cute little face._ She blocked the voice. It was becoming more persistent and hence more annoying as the days passed.

She walked to Seventh Heaven, which was not at all far from Reno's apartment building. She had spent the last few days there while Reno had been at work, playing with Lerina while Lerina introduced her to her new friends: Denzel, who was beginning to show signs of Geostigma; Marlene, who apparently was daughter to one of Cloud and Tifa's many friends; Genor, the little boy she had rescued from Elena's clutches. And always, Lerina asked about Chocobo, and when he was going to come visit her again.

Alcestis passed through the entrance to Seventh Heaven, and it was not even a minute when she heard _thump-thump-thump-thump_ coming down the stairs and saw Lerina, who promptly jumped on her.

Alcestis caught her deftly, and stroked her hair, which was now half-in, half-out of braids. "I like your hair, sweet."

"Is just like Ms. Magic's!" Lerina said.

"It's pretty early, sweet. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I just wanted to see you! See, I'm still in my pajamas." And Lerina gave a great big yawn. She jumped down from Alcestis' arms and wandered back over to the stairs. "Nighty night, Ms. Magic." Lerina said, stumbling up the steps. Tifa came down then, dressed and ready.

"I see your usual greeter caught you." Tifa said fondly.

"Oh, yeah, Always. She must like me all right, huh?"

Tifa laughed a little, small rings still under her eyes. "She keeps asking me if Chocobo is ever going to stop by."

Alcestis laughed. "I'll be sure to tell Reno that. I'm sure he'll make a point to stop by." She looked around. "Who's taking care of the kids?"

"An old friend of mine. Vincent Valentine."

_Interesting choice…_ Alcestis thought.

"All righty…plenty to see, so let's get going." Tifa said, smiling brightly even though it was 6:30 in the morning.

Thus, Alcestis and Tifa began their day together. Tifa showed Alcestis all the parts of Midgar she had missed…The park that was being built (no plants, yet, but a fountain)…a library, to help Midgar build a foundation of knowledge that it obviously needed…a planetarium, funded by ShinRa, to accommodate the growing interest in astronomy after Sephiroth's summoning of the meteor… and most interesting of all, a bounty office.

"I thought you might like to see that," Tifa said, pointing out the office.

"Really?" Alcestis said. "And why's that?"

"If the local government can't get their hands on a criminal, they allow bounty hunters to go after them. Bring the offender in and get a reward. There are also personal bounties, but those are usually just grudges people have, and are taken down by the poster within the week. The official bounties would be a good source of money, plus you'd get to bring down the bad guys that are causing trouble around here."

Alcestis wrinkled her nose a little and cocked an eyebrow simultaneously. "But that's just little stuff, isn't it?"

Tifa shrugged in reply. "A little bit can go a long way. I think that sometimes, everyone gets so caught up in the big things that they forget about the little things, and never realize just how much of an effect those little things can have."

Alcestis nodded slowly. She was right. The man she had once idolized had believed that, she saw now. It would be wise for her to pursue that path.

--Å--

Alcestis entered Reno's apartment – even though it was more or less her permanent place of residence, she still thought of it as Reno's – to find him sitting on the couch, patting Zan on the head absentmindedly, watching a news special and eating cheese puffs.

"Hey, how'd your day go?" Reno said without turning to look.

"It was pretty good. I think I found something to occupy myself with during the days now when you're not home."

"Awesome. Hey, check this out, yo." The turk said, turning up the volume.

"…The group's leader, whose name remains undisclosed, is rumored to have taken control of the Woodlands and Junon areas of the eastern continent and appears determined to invade and take control of the Midgar and Grassland regions next. In other news…" Reno muted it, and turned around to face Alcestis, grinning widely. Alcestis felt a strange, pleasing shudder go through her body…it was a sensation she had experienced before, and she associated it with an emotion, which was associated with still another…one that she never wanted to feel again.

"So what is it that you're going to occupy yourself with?" Reno said.

"I think…I think that bounty hunting might be a good profession for me here."

Reno's eyebrows raised. "Hope you don't look too closely at the personals list."

"Why's that?"

"I'm sure I'm on it a couple of times. Everybody hates the Turks, you know."

She sighed. "Yeah, and I used to, too."

"Used to?" Reno asked, cocking one eyebrow playfully.

"Yeah, used to. I think you've grown on me, Reno."

"I should say so. What d'you think of that news bit there?"

"Someone coming to invade Midgar? Wouldn't be the first time, right?"

"To take it over and start their own empire? Excluding ShinRa…I'd say…yeah, it would be the first time, yo."

"And what is ShinRa going to do about it?"

"Same thing they always do. Raise the Mako rates."

"Are there any SOLDIERs left?"

Reno frowned. "Now that you say it…I have no idea. Rufus has been particularly quiet on that subject. I think the last few SOLDIERs he encountered kinda left him shaken and stuck with the idea that all SOLDIERs would eventually come to kill him, yo."

"Sephiroth ran his daddy threw, didn't he?"

"Yeah, and Cloud came and beat down quite a few ShinRa types."

"Cloud was never actually in SOLDIER, you know."

"Really?"

"Honest. He just…well, actually, I don't know the whole story there, but I know he wasn't ever actually in SOLDIER."

"Might as well have been, the way he fights. He's a scary guy."

"He's back in town, now. Tifa said she was going to have a nice dinner with him, tonight."

"Yeah, well, Tifa ain't no Aeris, so she might as well give up, yo."

"What do you mean?"

"Tifa's got a thing for Cloud. And Cloud is still in love with Aeris."

"But she's dead."

"Aeris was an Ancient. She was in tune with the Lifestream to begin with. That basically means that life and death are the same thing to her. She's just observing from a different place."

"Are you saying that she can still get in touch with the living?"

"Something like that. Saw something in Hojo's records about it once."

"And if she were to communicate with anybody, it would be Cloud."

"Right."

"I see…That's weird."

"It's okay. I think Rude's got a little thing for Tifa, yo."

"_Really_?"

"Oh yeah. Always checking her out."

"I'm trying to picture Rude taking Tifa out on a date."

"You don't see it either?"

"I see it…just as extraordinarily awkward."

Reno laughed. "That's true, yo."

Alcestis took a seat next to him on the couch, and munched on a cheese puff absent-mindedly for a moment before her small smile faded from her face.

"Reno, I haven't been entirely honest with you."

Reno turned his eyes from Zan, who was rather amusing to watch at that moment (he was making a valiant effort to get all of the orange cheese crumbs off his snout using only his tongue), and focused his vibrant blue eyes on Alcestis with curiosity. "How's that?"

"I've known Tifa for quite a while. We actually met when we were teenagers. She had a friend who had a friend who I'd grown up with. And I've actually been living in the areas around Midgar for quite some time."

Reno nodded. "That's okay. I've done worse things than try to kidnap an Ancient."

"What'd you do?"

"I brought down the Sector 7 plate of Midgar."

"Single-handedly?"

"Hardly. But I did manage to prevent AVALANCHE from disabling the thing. I'm probably semi-responsible for the deaths of countless people."

"You say that so candidly."

"What more can I do? Every once in a while I feel guilty…just freakishly, weirdly guilty…but I try to ignore it. That was a whole different world compared to what everything is like now, yo."

"It was before Sephiroth summoned Meteor, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

Alcestis turned her eyes to the window, though Reno could tell her eyes were not focusing. They were looking at something elsewhere, something from her memories, he was sure. "Yes…Sephiroth has the power to change worlds. And I forgive you that travesty, as it _was_ a different world."

Reno studied her face. This chick was weirding him out big time. She seemed to be making an effort to be more friendly, but at the same time, she always came back to this side of her…the side that would only brood and focus on whatever it was in her life that upset her.

"Alcestis…"

She looked at him. And for once, he wasn't scared of her weird magical powers, or freaked out by her impassiveness, or surprised by her cunning or card-counting skills, or even stunned by her strange, rare, exotic beauty…he was simply appreciative of the fact that she was every bit as human as he.

"What is it, Reno?"

He leaned back, and stared stoically at the floor. "I don't even know. It never even occurred to me to ask for forgiveness from somebody before. But I think having it from you, well…having it from anybody, really…makes me…" And he stopped. "I don't even know where I'm going with this."

Alcestis stared at the ceiling. "I think I do. Forgiveness is not an easy thing to ask for, or to give, for that matter. But sometimes, it's important. Almost like…like…"

"I think forgiveness is something from the lifestream…" Reno said, examining the carpeting by his couch with disinterest. "A little bit of it can go a long way…"

"And it's better than Mako. The empowerment from it is much better than Mako."

"But it's almost impossible to get…especially when you've done things…"

And together, in perfect synchronization, said "like I have."

And they turned, and they looked at each other with surprise, and both said, right together, "What do you mean?"

"Stop that, you're-"

"-freaking me out!"

"That's exactly what I was going to say, Reno!"

"Pretty creepy, yo. But anyway, I think…I think we both understand where we were going…and I think that's enough for both of us."

"Yeah, I suppose, it's just… sometimes, I look at my hands, and… and no matter how many times I wash them…" Her face pinched around her eyes.

"Yeah?" Reno prodded.

"They always appear red to me. I have to take lives to get by. I run into criminals all the time, I have to kill monsters just to survive. But it never sits well with me. I can't handle it." Her voice broke a little, and her hands balled into fists.

Hey put a hand on her back. "You do what you have to do to live. If you kill a criminal, no one is going to think any worse of you. You did the right thing, you were protecting others."

Alcestis examined his face – his strangely handsome, exceedingly distinctive face – and nodded. "I think you're right…yo."

Reno grinned. "Are you mocking me, yo?"

Alcestis snickered a little, almost wildly. "No way…yo."

"You're mocking me!"

"Am not…yo. Oh!" And Alcestis let out a stream of giggles as Reno scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder as though she were a sack of potatoes. He giggled in the impish way that men do when they know they're going to get it later, and walked out of his apartment with her.

--Å--

Needless to say, Reno _did_ get it. He walked down the entire hallway of the apartment complex and was almost to the elevator when Alcestis had the sense to disappear and reappear behind him, and cast a water spell, which left him dripping wet with his clothes stuck to him. He chased her all the way back down the hallway to his apartment, where she locked him out (having pocketed his key while hanging over his shoulder) and made him say any number of embarrassing things ("I'm a bright pink chocobo, I wear lacy panties, and I chase men in my spare time." "No, no, with _enthusiasm_," "I AM A HOT PINK CHOCOBO, I WEAR FLAMING HOT PINK LACY WOMEN'S PANTIES WITH LITTLE FLOWERS ALL OVER THEM, AND I ENJOY CHASING HALF-NAKED MEN IN MY SPARE TIME, YO!") in order to get back in. Once inside, he did the natural thing, (Zan leaping with him) and chased her all around the apartment (which was difficult, as she kept using that weird, throwy power to send his own dirty clothing flying into his line of vision) and ended up chasing her into the washroom, where he trapped her inside.

"Okay, Reno, it's over, you can let me out, now."

"I don't think so, yo."

"Reno, why not?"

"You trapped me outside the apartment and made me shout that I was a flaming fowl homosexual to get inside, and you expect me to just _let you out_? No way in hell."

"What kind of ridiculous fallacies are you going to make me utter-"

"Shout!"

"-shout to get out of this room?"

"Hm…well that depends on how active my imagination is, yo…"

He grinned when he heard a groan on the other side of the door.

"Let's start with…hm…I heart ShinRa."

"I heart ShinRa."

"With enthusiasm, yo."

"This is the power of karma, isn't it?"

"Enthusiasm!"

"I HEART SHINRA!"

"And all their employees."

"And all their employees!"

"And I want to make sweet, sweet love to Reno Ferren!"

"That's your last name? I didn't know that."

"Say it."

"And I want to make sweet, SWEET LOVE to RENO FERREN!"

"Really, truly?"

"If I say yes, will it get me out of this bathroom?"

"Maybe."

"Then yes, I do, I want to make sweet, passionate, never-ending love to the wonderfully sexy red-headed Reno Ferren."

"Wow. You've got quite the imagination, yo."

He opened the door, and leaned against its frame. "Never-ending, huh?"

She pushed him in the middle of his chest and walked past him while smiling, laughing, and saying "Oh, go stuff yourself."

As she ran across the apartment and jumped onto his bed, Reno smiled after her. It was good to see her in playful spirits. He got the feeling she wouldn't be that way very often.


	8. In which Alcestis chases down a creep

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Yay, people are reading my story! You guys have no idea how much that means to me ::hands out Reno cookies and marshmallows:: I love you guys. More reviews though – those would be wicked awesome. Even if it's just "Hey, I've been reading your stuff, and I don't hate it." ::hugs:: This chapter's kinda short, but the next one's a lot longer, I promise.

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Alcestis walked into the bounty office the following morning and walked over to the many computers lining the walls. Every time she came in, she felt sorry for the people searching for easy bounties for a quick buck.

The scrolled through the list of official bounties…piece of cake. All petty criminals. She decided to leave those to the less experienced.

And, against her better judgement, she began to scroll through the personals list.

As she had initially suspected, the personal bounties list was mainly just the result of squabbles between neighbors. Steal this guy's car, break into this lady's house, blah blah blah. Bunch of ridiculous nonsense. She noticed with interest that, unlike what Reno had warned her about, there were no ShinRa employees on the list. She made a mental note to ask Reno later if ShinRa regularly wiped the list.

One particular thing caught her interest. The title of the bounty was "The Thief Law Enforcement won't pursue." The description was just a link to "More Info".

So, being the appropriately curious sort, Alcestis went ahead and clicked the link.

A page came up with a picture of a man that Alcestis thought she recognized, yet her memory of him was fuzzy. As if she'd bumped into him once, but had no real contact with him.

The description of the bounty said that the victim (the person writing the description, obviously) had had a classified list of ShinRa operations as well as a chest of materia in their possession. The Thief had stolen both items and ran off. Unable to catch them, the victim had reported him to law enforcement, who had shrugged it off as a lie. The first lead was a slum down in sector 3, where a man had been allegedly been spotted carting along an awkward trunk, looking around suspiciously.

Alcestis thought hard on this for a moment. Law Enforcement was obviously controlled by ShinRa, as was everything in the city, and if someone stole a ShinRa document, they'd obviously want it back, wouldn't they? There had to be a reason they weren't pursuing this. And a reason why the "victim" who had posted the bounty was pleasantly anonymous.

Her curiosity piqued and her materia equipped, Alcestis left the bounty office and headed towards the slums.

--Å--

Alcestis was in her third hour of wandering through the sector 3 slums. Everyone she had asked was a dead end. She leaned against a slimy pole, no longer caring if her clothes were mucked up, and stuck the bottom end of her staff into the ground, feeling it sink slightly in the mud.

She stared up at the sky – or lack thereof, rather, the plate was blocking out all light and happiness – and sighed.

"There has got to be some way to pursue this idiot."

Something dripped on her face. Belatedly, Alcestis realized it was mud. She wiped it off her face with a finger, balled it up, and threw it to the side at random.

But it didn't make the usual splat kindof noise that mud on mud usually does. It was an odd noise…

She turned her head to find that the mud had landed on something glowing.

She picked it up, and grinned.

Tracking Materia.

--Å--

Alcestis was very pleased that tracking materia was so easy to use. You're going the right way, it turns more blue, the wrong way, it fades toward red.

She kept it at a good consistent blue as she walked forward, holding the materia before her.

She wasn't sure what she was tracking, but she knew that most people kept their tracking materia on their person, in case that had to find anything valuable that they had lost. Either way, she was in for pay.

She rounded a corner and the materia started pulsing. Oh, she was close now. She had wandered all the way into sector one, and she was still going. The light it was emitting was pulsing quicker now, to a bright cyan from a dark cerulean. She rounded another corner, the pulsing slowed, so she back-tracked and went straight. It pulsed quicker.

She continued. Eventually, the pulsing had increased to the point where it was just a constant glow. She was certain she had to be close… She stopped at the dead end of an alleyway, and the materia rang slightly, much like the sound a wet finger makes on the edge of a crystal goblet.

She knew that must mean that whatever it was tracking was here, in this very spot. She whirled around, and could see nothing. It was a dead end. What had it been tracking? Materia did not have the fault of technology – it was never faulty. Who would've magicked it into tracking the end of an alleyway?

Suddenly she felt cold steel at her throat.

"Your materia was tracking these papers in my pocket, honey. Unfortunately for you, my invisibility kept them out of your hot little hands. And now you're in mine."

Alcestis froze, pondering her options. If she moved fast enough…

She brought the end of her staff up between her legs, felt the sharp bottom sink into the man's inner thigh. He dropped his knife, which she grabbed and tossed far behind her. She threw an arm out, and he fell back into the wall, knocked out cold. She examined his appearance, making a mental note of it as she pulled out the papers. Her eyes flipped over them quickly – definitely confidential ShinRa activities, detailing their various transactions. Why wouldn't ShinRa want to contain this leak if they knew about it? Maybe someone inside ShinRa wanted this out, for some reason. She would have to discuss it with Reno. And the chest of materia was nowhere in sight – that worried her. Materia was relatively valuable, a whole chest of it would not simply disappear, and she doubted that someone as malicious as the man she had just knocked out would have just given it away. But, besides the stab wound in his leg and the growing lump on his skull, he showed no sign of having participated in any other struggle… very curious.

In an effort to disallow any other invisible fiends from following her, Alcestis closed her eyes tightly, made a quick movement with her left fist, and disappeared, teleporting to the upper half of Midgar so that she could walk in peace the rest of the way home.

--Å--

Reno heard the door click quietly. From the soft footsteps, he could tell it was Alcestis. Only she of all his associates was so light-footed.

"Reno, I really need to ask you about-"

He cut her off. Without turning, he said "So where've you been, yo?"

"I was following up on a bounty." She said quietly, evenly. She was measuring his words, his tone. She was constantly analyzing him. He hoped that it was only because she hoped to spare his feelings. Any other reason would be creepy.

"Your note said you'd be back around 5:30." He turned around on the couch to look at her next to the doorway. "It's 10:30, yo. Five hours, Alcestis."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that my notes were set in stone or that my business was yours." She said icily, her eyes narrowing.

"Don't go asserting your independence with me, yo. You're living in my apartment, remember? You could've called, yo."

"And why should I have to?" She asked, her chin up. She was looking down her nose at him. She was defiant.

"Because I was dead worried about you, yo!" Reno replied, raising his voice slightly. He jumped over the back of the couch, standing directly in front of her. Only a foot of space separated them. He dwarfed her in height: his lithe build made him slightly over six foot, and she was only about 5' 8". She could no longer look down her nose at him.

And she didn't try. The look she gave him instead was a genuine one – a frown of confusion. "Wh…What? What… ?" She asked, unable to finish the rest of the question.

"I called the ShinRa Building. I called Seventh Heaven. I had Rude put everyone who works with the Turks on the lookout for you. I called the law enforcement agency to see if you'd been in the bounty office after 5. I wandered up and down this street shouting your name and threatening people I don't even know for your whereabouts, yo. I was worried about you! Do you understand worry?" He took her by the shoulders and shook her a little bit. "Do you understand that?"

Alcestis looked up at him, inclining her head. The independent woman of ten seconds ago was gone.

"Why would you worry about… about me?"

He shook his head at her. "You silly girl. Because I care about you. I know I haven't known you very long, but you're one of my best friends, yo. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Do you understand _that_, yo?"

Alcestis nodded. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Reno blinked, surprised. This wasn't Alcestis, was it? He patted her on the back, and finally hugged her back. She pulled back and smiled.

"Thank you."

He nodded. "Anytime, yo. Now, what was all this you wanted to tell me about?"


	9. In which Reno shows Alcestis around town

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Sorry I disappeared for a while. I am in the midst of midterm exams at my university, and it's not going so well v.v;. But I'm back with another chapter, and there's a lot more where this came from. Pending I start getting reviews. At any rate, here's a little more for my whopping four readers. You guys are the best!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following few days Reno would wake up, roll off the couch, and dress while Alcestis slept. He had observed that she had made a habit of taking his clothes to the laundromat, and that almost every day she brought home some amount of gold – from the law-enforcement agency for either a criminal or a tip as to where he might be. He also noted that whenever she was anxious about something, she would take out a piece of materia and play with it in her hands…usually spinning it in her fingers. It was kinda cute, really. And as he left, he made a point to leave her a baked good of some kind (usually a muffin that she had either made or bought) and a note stating when he would be home.

Reno looked into what Alcestis had brought him at work, and Rufus said it looked like one of the usual leaks. When Reno asked why no one had pursued it upon its report, Rufus replied that he'd have to look into it more. Nothing ever came of it, which worried Reno a little. He decided to push it from his mind for the time being.

Rude asked him almost every day – almost to the point that it was annoying – when their next game of chocobo run was going to be and if they could bring a few more co-workers along. Reno would shrug him off, laughing, daily. After a while, other people began asking him…mainly Tseng, who was interested by the fact that the woman who had came in and thrown their boss on the floor was a card shark, and Elena, who was jealous of Tseng's interest, however detached, in any woman that was not herself.

And regularly, Reno came home to find that Alcestis had taken Zan on a walk, a note on the table describing how much Zan had liked whatever about their walk the day before (the flowers in the slums, leaping into the fountain in the park and other things) and that she would be home soon.

This day in particular was a Saturday, and Alcestis came in with Zan, who was covered in mud (apparently, he had jumped into the fountain again) and Reno turned around.

"Alcestis, today is the start of the second weekend you've been living here."

"Yeah, and? Do you want me gone?"

"Naw, I like you all right. Today was the day I promised I'd show you around Midgar. I bet there's a few things Tifa didn't show you, yo."

His impish grin told her for sure that she was in for trouble. She removed the clip of the leash from Zan's collar and looked at Reno suspiciously, his blue eyes more intense with playful spirits than normal and his grin unfading. "Just where exactly are you planning on taking me?"

"I'm not gonna take you down to the slums, don't worry. But I am going to show you the nightlife block."

"You're going to get me drunk enough to agree to sleep with you, is that it?"

Reno shook his head at her. "No. I'm not that shallow. Besides which, what's the point of seducing a drunk woman? She'll be asleep in the middle of things! That ruins it. Besides, I'd rather have a sober woman find me attractive than a drunk one. But I haven't gotten thrashed in a while, now that you mention it, yo."

"You're not going to take me to a singles bar, are you?"

"And have guys besides me hitting on you? Hell no! I'd knock them on their asses. I don't like the idea of some random guy trying to get his hands all over you, yo."

"Reno, are you protective of me?"

"You make food. I'll keep you here, thanks."

"So where are you going to take me?"

"It's better than a bar, I promise, yo."

--Å--

The loud music had a fast, driving beat – anything that could be danced to was played at this particular club, which was obviously frequented by a large variety of people – mercenaries, ShinRa interns, anyone, really…the only thing that everyone in there had in common was that they were between the ages of 18 and 28. There was dancing – lots and LOTS of dancing – and a small bar, and a lounge in the corner, made up of several couches and loveseats.

"This is it. You take me through all of the major stores and then bring me here. This is your big surprise."

"You'll enjoy yourself here, I promise, yo." And Reno made a beeline for the bar. He ordered himself something that Alcestis didn't want to identify, and then ordered one for Alcestis. "Come on, Kess, it won't kill you."

Alcestis blinked. Ordinarily, she would throw anyone who called her by a nickname of any variety into a wall, but she found that for some reason, with Reno, it was okay. It didn't disturb her in the least. And so she took a drink. And spat it back out.

"Reno, that crap is _foul_."

"It's not made from chocobos, yo."

"Not that kind of fowl. I mean disgusting."

Reno shrugged. "I suppose you're right. But I suppose that my taste buds are burnt out."

And so Alcestis ordered something lighter – some kind of mixed juice thing that was probably spiked with wine – and sat with Reno on her stool, the one closest to him, and watched the mass of people dancing.

"Do you fancy a dance, Kess?"

Alcestis swallowed her mouthful of juice that she'd been swishing around and shook her head profusely. "No. No no no no no no no. Black mages do not dance."

"Sure they do, betcha that chick over there is a black mage, yo."

The girl was all up in some kind of dark outfit that was made more of netting than it was of cloth and was dancing wildly, two little balls of materia wrapped up in her hair.

"Am I supposed to follow her example?"

"Naw." Reno leaned back onto the bar with his elbows. Just as he did so, some kind of pop song came on, the guitar producing accented riffs and the drums starting out slow and than thumping to a quicker, more provocative rhythm. "Kess, you don't have a choice. This is an easy song to dance to. Even for a beginner like you, yo."

"Hm?" She said. She had not entirely been listening. But he was right about one thing.

She didn't have a choice.

He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out into the center of people just as the song really kicked up. She stood there awkwardly in the crowd of people. Reno, however, blended right in. He didn't look like an ass at all.

And if Reno could make himself not look like an ass, then surely she could do it, too.

Reno was relieved to see her start to move her body, first her hips, and then everything else following. He found it interesting to see that her dancing was centered around the swaying of the hips. He found it interesting…and attractive.

After only a minute, Alcestis was really into it. Her dancing was quick and in tempo and provocative, and every once in a while, when some other guy tried to cut in, she would swoop around to the other side of Reno and put a hand on his shoulder as if to signify that she was there with Reno would not switch to anyone else for anything. Or maybe he was reading into it too much. Either way, he liked it. She even clasped her hands just behind his neck once or twice to dance _with_ him, and occasionally he would grab her around the middle and dip her halfway to the floor, which, the first time, made her curse a little, but the few following times made her smile at him.

Reno couldn't really understand what the lyrics were…they were much too fast for him to catch what was going on…but they must've been magical because he'd never seen Alcestis act so…free.

Alcestis reflected that she'd heard this song before, when she'd been in Midgar at a previous time. It reminded her of peering through a crack in the plate to see a few flowers growing valiantly. Even in darkness, they would strive to blossom, and so Alcestis only felt it natural that she should try to do the same. She'd never felt quite as…free. She remembered reading at some point in time during her study of magic that dance was once an essential part of casting any powerful spell, and she could tell why…it was truly a form of expression.

Furthermore, she was having this epiphany with Reno, a man that she could not get out of her head and was, for some reason, irresistibly drawn to. She felt butterflies when he made a mildly suggestive face at her. She hoped that the rave lights wouldn't allow him to see her blush a little.

The song slowed only slightly, a small break with only the vocals and the percussion, and Reno and Alcestis joined hands on one side and placed their hands on the small of each other's back with the other, and came very close…their noses were very nearly touching. Reno noted with a strange kind of satisfaction that her breathing was heavy, and he didn't think it was from the dancing.

It lasted only a moment, and then the song went back into its normal groove. They spun away and Alcestis returned to her usual swaying and Reno to his own unique style of dancing that bordered on the ridiculous yet was suave…the sort of thing that only Reno could pull off.

As the song ended with an explosion of sound, Alcestis trotted back over to the bar, and saw in the reflection of the mirror behind the barman that Reno was paying close attention to the swaying of her hips. She found it more humorous than anything, particularly since she would never admit to herself that she actually found the red-head attractive.

Just as Reno caught up with her at the bar, a strange sound came from the wall of the club. Reno cocked an eyebrow, and Alcestis frowned. They both recognized the sound, but surely-

Two wolf-like hounds burst through the wall of the club, and the crowd went wild, with over a hundred screaming bodies trying to exit the door and causing congestion at the exit.

"And me without my staff," Alcestis muttered. She turned to find that Reno had his electromag rod with him, except…smaller. Reno gestured at her with it. "Collapsible," he said. Alcestis nodded, amused.

And when they both turned, the two creatures were ready to fight them.

Reno recognized them as creatures similar to one that Rufus kept as a kind of guard creature…he had confided before that he had used it to attack Cloud when he had first taken over ShinRa.

Alcestis recognized them as beasts that she had fought previously in the country side…a group of bandits that were ravaging small towns and villages far south of here had used them as scouts…and suddenly the invasion on TV was very close to home.

Alcestis did not have her staff, but she still could do magic. She waved her right arm left then right very stiffly, bent it at the elbow towards her left shoulder, and than thrust it forward, as though flinging something at them. Both creatures were engulfed in flames momentarily, and cringed in the pain of it. But again, both stood. Alcestis' jade eyes narrowed considerably. "These are much stronger than any others of their species I've encountered."

"Awesome," Reno said, as one of them took a leap at him. The other moved in tandem…they were a perfect fighting team. Each struck again and again at their targets, hoping to sink their teeth in the turk's and mage's necks. Reno kicked one of the creatures in the muzzle, and nailed it in the ribs with his electro-mag rod. The creature shook off the shock and went for him again.

Meanwhile, Alcestis was dropping beneath her opponent and landing a blow to its stomach with her hand while casting a Holy spell. That sent the creature flying, but it merely came back again, eager to rip her jugular open. Ice…Lightning…Alcestis had tried every spell she knew…except…

And she tried Ultima. And that finally knocked the creature over. It glowed a strange red for a moment, and then there was nothing…just a few glowing balls sinking through the floor, bound for the lifestream.

She tried the same spell on the hound that was doing its best to pin Reno, and it shot over the bar, smashed into the mirror and shattered it, but still came back to pounce on Alcestis, who used her favorite power and threw it into a wall. Reno's rod came down hard on its skull with a shock and it finally went through the same process as its companion.

Reno was slightly out of breath – he was used to fighting people, not monsters. He unbuttoned his shirt another button (and was pleased to note that Alcestis quickly turned her head away when he looked her in the face) and fanned himself with his hand in vain.

"They were scouts." Alcestis said. "At least, they're usually used as scouts. But that must've been what they were doing, if they got this far into Midgar without any problems."

"We haven't been outside," Reno pointed out. "They could've left a path of destruction behind them, yo."

Alcestis shook her head. "I don't think so. Besides, if they were scouting, why would they want in here? It's just a stupid club. Why ever would they bother with it?"

Reno looked around. "Something must've drawn them here, yo. The question is, what's here that isn't in every club or bar in the area?"

"Those kindof hounds feed on materia, so maybe there's a stash of it around here?"

"Feed on it?"

"Yes. Like chew it up and swallow it."

"Weird, yo. But I don't think a club would bother with a stash of Materia." he frowned for a moment, leaning against the bar. "Rufus' little thing like that likes the smell of Mako."

"All of Midgar is drenched in the stench of Mako, Reno."

"But I mean when it's concentrated. I guess every once a while the thing runs off and they always find it at one of the reactors, yo."

"We're not near any of the reactors."

Reno laughed a little. "Maybe they were just looking to get drunk."

Alcestis smiled unwillingly and stifled her small laugh. "Honestly, Reno." She looked around. "What could they have been looking for…"

She thought back to the small series of skirmishes she'd had with the bandits just outside of Junon. She'd been there simply to see what was there…and upon leaving to set out for Fort Condor, they had attacked her multiple times, trying to assert their "control" over the region. While fighting, they had mentioned something about using summons…

"The bandits I clashed with. They were going to use Summons to take control of the Planet or some garbage." She locked eyes with Reno. "I've got more summon materia on my person than anyone in this city, I'll bet you. And obviously, these creatures are fantastic at sniffing out materia… And did you see that one of those hounds had papers stuffed in their collars? It looked like a copy of the papers I got in that bounty hunting job a while back."

Reno turned and stared at the gaping hole in the brick wall. "So what you're saying is that a group of bandits which have mobilized into a military force will be coming here with craploads of monsters under their command."

Alcestis nodded. "Basically."

"And there's probably somebody on the inside of ShinRa assisting them."

"I think so."

"That sucks, yo."

"You're telling me." She stepped through the gaping hole in the wall and stared up into the starry (if smoggy) sky. "Let's go home, Reno."


	10. In which things get dramatic

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Okay, so I disappeared for longer than a while this time. It was months. Sorry to anyone who was actually interested in my weird little story T.T; I've had a lot of really difficult things going on in my life, so this wasn't exactly a priority. My life has leveled out somewhat, though, so now I can continue posting! D My sincerest thanks to anyone giving my work a chance.

--

Reno set himself to the difficult task of rifling through ShinRa's "non-existent" restricted files whenever he was on break. It was a room that rarely had feet inside of it. All of its confidential files were, after all, "non-existent." But as a high-level Turk, Reno had access to basically whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, so he set to work in the filing cabinet where he had left off last time.

It had been roughly a week since their encounter with the scout-wolves at the club, and the entire week, (to Reno's disappointment,) there had not been a single flash of the playful or relaxed Alcestis. She was all business, all the time…bounty hunting petty criminals and patrolling the eastern borders of Midgar (evidently she had encountered several more hounds) and researching the Bandits. She watched the news every night. Obviously something about the group had her seriously worried.

And it was for her that Reno was taking the time to rifle through confidential files during his break. ShinRa had a great many files on the group of bandits-turned conquerors, but Holy knows that they couldn't possibly put it all in one file…no, there was one file in another file entitled Skirmishes, and one for business dealings, etc… Reno had previously never realized just how extensive ShinRa's records were on _everything_.

Eventually, after ten minutes of sorting through files within files within cabinets, Reno leaned back against another row of cabinets and sighed. Why was he putting himself through this?

The door abruptly opened and Rude walked in, frowning at his friend who appeared to be having a standing-nap on a metal grey cabinet.

"What the…?"

Reno snapped his head up. "Oh. Hello, Rude."

Rude's eyebrows narrowed. Reno looked like something akin to a Zombie. His hair was unusually disheveled, his skin atypically pale, rings under his eyes dark and large, his eyes themselves barely open.

"What's the matter with you? Disappearing in here during break all the time. You need a nap."

Reno shook his head. "Who needs sleep? Naw, it's just that Alcestis and I got jumped the other day, and I'm doing a little research, yo."

Rude frowned even more. He was slurring his words. Almost like he was drunk, but it was certainly fatigue that was dragging him down. Obviously, no one was taking care of Reno… not Reno, not Alcestis.

"Research on what?"

"The group that sent the thing that we killed. I imagine the club we were at is rather upset. Not so good for business to have such a big hole in the wall, yo."

Rude first had trouble imagining Alcestis in a club, and realized that Reno was barely making sense.

"You go sleep in the breakroom or something. I'll pick up whatever paperwork you've got today."

"You're such a buddy. But no, Rude, don't worry about me, yo. I'm fine."

Rude sighed and shook his head. "I can go get Tseng if I need to. But you look like a train wreck."

The small smile Reno had been pasting onto his face disappeared entirely. He had not enjoyed the tedious work he had been doing by any means, and staying late after work just to rummage through files was not making the tediousness of it all any better. "I feel like a train wreck, yo."

Rude waved him off. "Just go home."

"Naw, Rude, really-"

"I'll drag you down to the lobby and throw you out if you don't go home." Rude said. He was not much for showing compassion, but he was worried about his friend and no other way to express it. Reno put his hands up in surrender.

"Fine, whatever. Just be sure to tell Tseng, all right…"

And Reno stumbled out the door. Rude looked at the file he'd been reading. Bandits from the country side that had paid an obscene sum of money for summon materia. Rude took the liberty of removing the file, photo-copying it, replacing it, and stuffing the copy into Reno's mailbox for the next day. Stupid red-head, anyway.

--Å--

When Reno stumbled into his apartment, Alcestis looked over with surprise. "Reno, what're you…?"

Without replying Reno stumbled over to the bed, collapsed on it sideways, and promptly began slumbering. Alcestis shrugged. Silly red-head.

She turned back to what she had been doing. She had found an interesting function on Reno's TV – connection to a kind of interactive television, which allowed her to search for any variety of information and have millions of things – true, false, and just plain silly – pop up in response. It was called the Midgar Network, and evidently everyone in Midgar had taken an interest in contributing little bits and pieces. It was a veritable mine of information, gossip, rumors. Interestingly enough, the local library had a station for travelers to put in the latest news from abroad.

And the most recent entries were all about attacks in the country-side. A group of heavily armed travelers, able to send out frightening creatures and use unorthodox tactics to defeat all who crossed their paths. Sufficed to say, the stories were rather frightening. This did not seem to her like the same group of bandits she had fought before, but apparently they had coalesced into this group, the self-named "Order of the Ancients." She was certain they had no connections to the Ancients and merely wanted the power and intimidation that came with such a name, but nevertheless she couldn't discount the possibility that they might be being influenced by another… perhaps Sephiroth, reaching out even after death? Jenova's subtle influences found elsewhere? She couldn't be sure. But she didn't like it.

She leaned back on the couch, putting down the remote. She rubbed her forehead, stressed. Why would a group of bandits and petty thieves be suddenly interested in world domination? What was the possible motivation for pursuing such excessive power? Was it Wutai's leftovers, feeling bitter? Or was it something else…something else…

She fiddled for a moment with a braid that had failed to make it into her hair tie that morning before standing and turning around to see Reno more or less passed out on the bed. She shook her head. He'd been coming home late from work every day, she knew, and getting up a little extra early every day, and she just couldn't place why. Perhaps he needed a day off.

She stood on a couch cushion and deftly leaped over the back and walked to stand next to the bed. Zan, who had been lying on the couch next to her before, followed, and settled down on the bed, stepping over Reno, to make a spot on the pillows. Reno was lying with his knees over the edge of the bed, his feet hanging down, one shoe only half off. His arms were sprawled out on either side of him and his head was just to the side, mouth 

slightly open, almost drooling. She took the time to _really_ look at him, the first time she had done so for a week. He was cute. Really, truly, fascinatingly cute. And handsome. And really rather kind of- no. She would not allow _that _thought into her head. She didn't want to wake him, but figured she ought to know why he was home. She woke him with a little shake and he opened his eyes and blinked at her.

"Five more minutes, yo."

She smiled a little. Reno felt the weird happy feeling again. It'd been a while since he'd felt that. A whole week.

"Why are you so home early?"

"I was forced, yo."

"Did they fire you, Reno?"

"Hell no, yo. Rude told me I was too friggin' tired. I fell asleep in one of the library rooms."

She frowned and inclined her head at him, which Reno had learned was her way of asking for further explanation.

"I was looking for any other information on those bandits you're so worried about, yo."

She put on a concerned look and shook her head. "So that's why you've been getting home so late." She sat down on the bed next to Reno, curling her legs to one side and leaning on the opposite arm. She ran the back of her index finger along one of his tattoos. "That was very considerate of you. And it was very inconsiderate of me not to be the one to force you to take better care of yourself." Reno closed his eyes and smiled a little, sucking up the attention. She removed her hand from his cheek, and he opened one eye at her. "But you're right, I am worried." She confessed, staring off at the windows. "Maybe it's just paranoia, but it seems like anytime I live in any one given place for more than a week that its destruction follows me."

Reno cocked an eyebrow at her, both eyes open now, his hands resting behind his head casually.

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

Reno narrowed his eyes.

"Honest. Nothing."

He glared at her.

"My hometown was Gongaga. Does that explain enough for you?"

Reno shook his head vigorously, making the bed shake.

"When I was little, the local Mako reactor exploded and ravaged the city. As I got older, ShinRa swooped in and took many of the children for routine 'examinations.' And they never came back." Alcestis stared off at the windows again, her face taut.

"Who was it?"

She didn't look at him, but her eyebrows raised slightly. "Who was what?"

"The kid you knew that got hauled away."

Alcestis' passive face showed nothing as she murmured, "our little sister."

Reno's eyebrows knit together. "'Our?'"

"Well, she wasn't actually our little sister. She was just the girl next door who we babysat for. We always played Chocobo Run together…that's how I got so good at the game. He taught her and me unarmed fighting. She was doing so well. She was great, and then…" she sighed. "They took her. Said she had potential and ought to be examined. And she never came back."

Reno noticed her freehand was clutching a ball of materia that had appeared from nowhere. _Stress reliever_. He realized. _For whatever reason, the presence of materia makes her feel safer, it's a comfort thing._

"Who taught you?" Reno asked.

Alcestis' mask broke, and her face became near sorrowful. "My older brother. He wasn't actually my older brother, he was the boy across the street, but he was just like my brother, we did everything together, and she would tag along with us, and-" Alcestis continued rambling in this way, talking about how they would explore the area together, and pick up materia from the reactor when no one was around and helped each other with schoolwork.

"_Who_, Alcestis? Who was it?" He pressed again, once her mumbling had subsided.

"The little girl, her name was Jessie. They took her away, she was only seven, I have no idea what happened to her…"

Inside, Reno cringed. It couldn't be…Jessie from AVALANCHE? Who'd died when they'd knocked out the pillar? Who he and the other Turks had fought so violently with? He'd heard Tseng say that she had been in training to be a Turk when she was spirited away…

"And your brother, who was that?"

She sniffled. "His name was Zack."

Reno stared at her, wide-eyed. Alcestis sniffled a little, unable to contain the tears welling up in her eyes. "His name was Zack," she repeated. "He was the best at Martial Arts, and he was always training with his really big sword, a-"

"Buster sword, yo."

Alcestis nodded. "Right, and-" She looked at him, surprised. "How'd you…?"

"Was this Zack a member of SOLDIER?"

"Yeah, First Class. But how'd you…?"

"Alcestis, do you know whatever became of Jessie and Zack?"

"No, I mean, I figured I would find her in something with demolitions for ShinRa, but I've found no trace of her anywhere, and Zack just stopped writing after a while."

Demolitions…the girl who had done explosives for AVALANCHE had been named Jessie…Zack, first class SOLDIER…

"Is that part of why you spent so much of your life traveling? Were you…" He paused, hesitant. "Were you looking for them?"

Alcestis nodded. "Yeah. My parents were killed when the reactor blew. I had…no one. They were it. They were my family. I took turns, I'd live with Jessie's family one week, Zack's the next. I spent my whole life since I was sixteen out looking for them." The tears were rolling silently down her face now. "I love them so much. They're my reason for living, really."

Reno stared out the window, and put an arm around her. "I know what happened to both of them."

"You…you do?"

Reno nodded.

"Please, Reno, t-tell me…"

He swallowed, hesitant. He had the feeling that this would go nowhere good. She was probably going to hate him once she put the pieces together. "Jessie was killed by the Turks, Kess. She was an explosives technician for AVALANCHE."

Alcestis sobbed quietly, and allowed Reno to cradle her in his arms. She sniffled. "And…and Zack?"

"He was experimented on by Hojo, but he escaped, but…on his way into Midgar…He was with his best friend, yo, who was comatose, so they left his friend be, but Zack…" Reno hesitated, seeing the look in her eyes. "Zack was gunned down trying to save his friend, who apparently he had saved a billion times before."

Alcestis sobbed openly then. "My whole family…anyone I've ever loved…they're all dead now…" She looked at Reno curiously. "Who was the friend?"

Reno gave a small, sad chuckle. "Ironically…Cloud Strife."

"G-good." Alcestis said, nodding. "Good. Zack would be h-happy to know that the f-friend he died to save ended up s-saving the whole planet."

He held her for what seemed like forever, his fatigue fading away into remorse as he watched Alcestis cry. Until she looked up at him, with fire in her eyes. She stood abruptly.

"You." She said, as though he was the most insidious being on the planet. "The Turks killed my sister…they gunned down my brother…and you're one of them!" She threw out her arm, and Reno felt his back make hard contact with the wall.

"This is why I don't believe in love!" She screamed. "Because all it ever does is hurt!"

And with that, she stormed out the door of the apartment, leaving Reno stunned on the floor between the bed and the wall.

--

OH THE DRAMA. HOW WILL IT END?! Please leave a comment. 3 you.  
-Nyavin


	11. In which realizations are made

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **I missed updating this story. Good times all around! I'd feel a bit better if I knew people were reading. Comment/review thingy? Puh-lease? I feel like such a begger. v.v

--

Tifa found herself rather jealous of Alcestis. She listened from behind the bar as Cloud and Alcestis sat in the bedroom talking about Zack. Zack, the amazing fighter. Zack, the compassionate soul. Zack, who had been a brother to both of them. In their eyes, that made them kin, and special to one another…and left Tifa with her only memory of Zack as being the obnoxious, overzealous one who came to check on the reactor. While she knew that Cloud didn't view Alcestis in a romantic light (no, that title still belonged to that bitch, Aeris), she was still jealous of the manner and the speed in which they had bonded. When they emerged from the bedroom, both had tear-stained faces, and gave each other a hug. Alcestis thanked him for his time, and Cloud replied that it was nothing, he was glad they had talked. Cloud had even smiled a little (an exceedingly rare sight) and Alcestis had jovially said goodbye to Tifa, who had nodded kindly in response. Lerina made a point to jump on "Ms. Magic" at least one more time before she left.

--Å--

Alcestis stalked the streets of Midgar, mulling over all the things Cloud had said, and she knew, she knew that the Zack he had known was the one and the same as the one she'd grown up with. Always caring, and a fantastic fighter, and always concentrated on the task at hand. She had appreciated hearing about his various feats, and all the people he had saved. Yes, she had loved Zack…the greatest big brother anyone could ever ask for.

And Jessie…Cloud had known a bit about Jessie, too…her tenacity, her ingenuity, her curiosity, all of which were things she had possessed when she was young…She, in her dying breaths, had asked Cloud to fight on, and Alcestis greatly appreciated that Cloud had done so.

But always, her thoughts returned to Reno. That damn red-head. That damn sweet red-head who had driven himself to exhaustion for her research, who had taken her in, and made her laugh…did so many things just like Zack had done. She was finally beginning to 

realize though that her feelings for Reno were not those shared between siblings…and that was what bothered her the most.

Because Cloud had revealed that the Sector 7 plate brought down by Reno was why Jessie had died. She had forgiven Reno the travesty, the deaths of it she had known previously to be nameless and faceless; but now, she was haunted by her forgiveness for the man who had, more or less, caused the death of her little sister. And had pledged himself to the organization that had been responsible for the death of her older brother.

And even if she could forgive Reno that much, she knew it would only lead to more awful things. Because the feelings she was developing for him would only grow if she forgave him, and she knew that when those feelings grew too much, they would hurt, just like they always had before. And she didn't want that hurt anymore. Never again.

--Å--

Reno patted Zan on the head for the thousandth time. Alcestis had been gone all night. It was over halfway through the day. Reno hadn't gone to work. He had waited for her to come home. But she hadn't. She hadn't called. Reno felt surprisingly empty. It was just a woman.

Or was it?

Reno shook his head, and Zan cocked his head at him.

"No, Zan, she wasn't just a woman. Or just a roommate. She was special, somehow."

--Å--

Alcestis wandered through the city aimlessly.

_You should go back to Reno_.

_Oh, stop it, you make it sound like we were dating or something._ She snapped at the annoying voice in her head.

_But he was important to you. Your catalyst for change, remember?_

_No. I was wrong. He was here to tell me what happened to my family, and that's it. He's outlived his usefulness._

_You think he didn't consider that you would react this way? But he told you anyway, because it was the right thing to do. He saved Lerina, because it was the right thing to do._

_No, I saved Lerina. He did what I told him because I would've killed him._

_No, he damn well didn't. The second time? He could've just done whatever the hell he wanted. But he didn't. He threw a fit at his boss, for Lerina, and for you_.

Alcestis had often heard that too much magic made parts of a mage's psyche become more pronounced. She suddenly realized what that meant.

It meant she was arguing with herself.

_You don't have to love him. But accept him. Tolerate him. He's done a lot for you._

_I don't need him._

_But you do want him in your life._

And at that, Alcestis grimaced. She slinked down onto a bench, just now realizing that she had wandered over by the plant-less park, the fountain trickling cheerfully behind her. She rubbed a hand against her forehead. Yeah, she did want Reno's friendship. She couldn't deny that. He'd even exhausted himself helping her in her research, he'd put her soul to peace regarding her family, and he'd ensured that she would come to no harm upon entering ShinRa. He even granted her more friends – Rude was a perfectly likeable guy, if a bit taciturn. Reno was thoroughly entertaining, and her head scrolled through memories… waking up to find him still there protecting her and Lerina, watching Lerina bounce on his shoulders on the way into Midgar, Lerina braiding his ponytail when he offered to let her stay with him, his anger over Lerina's potential mistreatment, the manner in which he inhaled the food she had made, his jokes during their game of Chocobo Run, the expression on his face when he said that he wanted to see her happy, chasing each other down the hall and around the apartment, dancing in the club, the caring expression in his eyes as he held her and told her the truth while she cried…

Yes. She did want Reno in her life.

She stood, brushed herself off, and began to head for home.

--Å--

Reno stared out the window, hoping to see her figure approaching the building. Nothing. Ten minutes later. Nothing. Twenty minutes. Nothing. An hour. Nothing.

It was getting dark. Was she going to be okay?

Will she even want to stay here if she comes back?

Reno's eyes suddenly lit up. An idea! He had promised her he would…and so he was going to.

Patting Zan on the head one last time, Reno grabbed his jacket and dashed out the door.

--Å--

Alcestis entered Reno's apartment. "Reno, I…" And her voice trailed off into nothing. He wasn't there. All that and he wasn't there.

She sat down on the couch, dejected. She produced a ball of materia seemingly out of nowhere and began to weave it between her fingers. Ultimately, she lay down on the couch, thinking about her favorite red-head, and fell asleep.

--Å--

Reno stumbled into his apartment. It had been awkward getting the door open with the huge pot and a folder of files in his hands, but he had managed it. He closed the door quietly, and walked the plant over to the coffee table in front of the couch. He whisked some of his dirty shirts off the table with one arm, and gently set the plant down, throwing the file across the room to land next to the bed.

He stepped back to admire it. It was a truly exotic plant, the Tree of the Fallen Star, with crimson leaves and bright orange flowers. It was small now, but he knew that it would grow to about 2-4 feet. If a mage took care of it, anyway.

For the first time since entering, he looked at the couch, and nearly jumped in surprise. There was Alcestis, sleeping peacefully, as though she'd never left. Reno felt something strange…he was pretty sure that when described, it was known as having the heart jump to the throat. He'd known her, what, two, three weeks? But there she was, laying on his couch, and Reno thought of her as one of his best friends. Living together'll do that.

He sighed, figuring that the bed was his that night. He stripped off his jacket, and threw it nonchalantly on the floor. His shirt his the ground next. He tossed his pants off at the wall, and collapsed onto the bed without even getting under the covers. She was home. All was good with the world. And Reno fell asleep, imagining what her expression might be when she woke up and saw the plant.

--Å--

A few rays of sunlight had penetrated the apartment through the windows. Alcestis stirred slightly, and yawned. Her eyes fluttered open, and then grew wide. She could not believe what she was seeing.

A Tree of the Fallen Star? No way! How did such a thing ever get into the apartment?

Reno…Reno had said he was going to bring her one. She sat up, and took a moment to take in the sweet fragrance of the flowers. It was sweet like honey, yet smelled a bit like citrus. It was great.

And if it was here…then that must mean that Reno had been there!

She stood, turned, and saw Reno sleeping on the bed in only his boxers. He was surprisingly attractive, she would have to admit to herself later, but that was at the back of her mind. She couldn't stop herself from scrambling over the couch. Or from running and jumping onto Reno zealously.

She bounced the bed over and over, hugging Reno for all she was worth. Reno woke up sputtering. "What the hell?!" Realizing that Alcestis was sitting on top of him with her arms wrapped tightly around him, he patted her on the back lightly. "Good morning, yo."

"I'm so sorry, Reno. Thank you so much." She muttered into his shoulder.

Reno took the time to think that it was a bit ironic that the first time she was on top of him while he was naked was an emotional moment, and then sat up. He hugged her lightly. "It's all right. It's okay. You had every right to be upset. I am the scum of the Planet, yo."

"No you're not." She muttered into his shoulder. "You're the best friend that I've got."

"I'm a hitman, Kess. I am at least a tiny bit responsible for the death of your family, yo."

"No, you're not. You had no idea who they were, or even who I was." She muttered.

"But, Kess-"

"I already forgave you, Reno. You were doing your job, she was doing hers, you came into conflict. But you don't do that anymore."

"No, I'm not in the habit of killing random people. My work is-"

"Getting a sandwich for the boss."

He hugged her back, his eyes closed for a moment.

"Thank you so much for the gift."

Reno laughed a little. "It was totally worth it. Rufus is going to come in this morning and freak, yo."

Alcestis snapped back and looked at him. "You stole the main specimen?"

Reno grinned shamelessly and nodded.

"Reno! I can't believe you!" She said, laughing. Reno leaned back against the wall, and Alcestis went with him, laughing hysterically with her head on his shoulder and her arms around his middle. He kept his arm around her, smirking, and realized that her laughter was giving him goosebumps everywhere, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Reno, I can't believe you actually stole one of ShinRa's specimens. I'm so proud of you," she said, giggling. Reno shrugged. "All in a day's work, yo."

He leaned off the side of the bed and produced something else.

"Thought you might find this interesting, yo."

Alcestis flipped the file open with interest, and a look of relieved surprise came across her face. "Reno, this is…"

"Everything ShinRa knows about the bandits. Rude saw me searching them, copied the files and left the extras in my mailbox. Great guy, yo."

Alcestis' eyes ravaged the pages, but she was slightly disappointed. "The only thing it doesn't tell me is the thing I want to know the most."

Reno frowned. "Which is what, yo?"

"What is their motivation for suddenly wanting world domination?" Alcestis asked. "This was a group of petty thieves when I crossed paths with them. They wanted money, but they weren't interested in power. They just wanted to make everyone passing through 'their land' pay them a fee. It doesn't make sense that they'd suddenly want control of the entire world."

"The summon materia probably has something to do with it, right?"

"I guess, but I mean, there are all kinds of summon materia. But there has to be a reason that they're fixating on it. I mean, Cloud probably has the most powerful of the Summon materia, tetra flare and all that, but the hounds haven't gone after him, they must want something else…" Her eyes lit up. "Reno, I need to return to Gongaga."

"You're crazy." He said plainly.

"No, Reno, you don't understand. Near Gongaga, there is a forest. The Ancient Forest. It was the first place I went before I began my search for my brother and sister. There is an old Gongagan myth that within that forest there is a cave-library of sorts where a great deal of magical knowledge is hidden. No one has ever been able to find it, plenty of expeditions have disappeared in search of it, but the myth states something specific about summon materia…that whoever has the Potestas Summon has the world at their fingertips. So…that would explain the fixation on Summon Materia. The myth also states that there was a man who sought the Potestas summon his entire life. He loved a woman who would not have him. She was a selfish woman, and said that she would only love him if he could give her anything she wanted, so he became obsessed with finding the Potestas Summon, so that he could give her the world…and that in his quest for it, he ultimately became absorbed in finding it and forgot all about her, and obtained so much power that it is believed he was not entirely absorbed into the lifestream. The last part said that he would come to punish you if you were a misbehaved child, but I suppose the adults just threw that part in."

Reno's eyebrows knit together. "So, in shorthand…this guy who wanted to control the world to make some woman love him, forgot all about her, and ended up being so powerful that he didn't entirely die."

"Right."

"So he probably somehow took control of this group of bandits."

"Right."

"And now he's after the Potestas Summon." He let out a long breath, and drew another in. "But why is the Order he's established coming after Midgar? If ShinRa had the summon, they surely would've used it by now, yo."

Alcestis shook her head. "The resources. ShinRa has got the resources to search for this item. Manpower, helicopters, everything."

"So the Scouts weren't after Materia. They were looking to see how far ShinRa's influence went."

"Right. Does ShinRa own that club we were in?"

"Probably, yo."

Alcestis nodded, and then sighed. There was a moment of silence before she spoke. "Reno, I've got to find that cave. If it's there, if it exists, and we can find it, well then…perhaps we can find a way to put this to rest. Permanently. It's supposed to be full of magical knowledge…how mages were able to utilize magic before there was craploads of Materia around. I'm talking older than the Cetra, Reno. This is big. Very big."

"Alcestis, if you're off gallivanting in the countryside, who do you expect to protect Midgar?"

"ShinRa and Cloud." Alcestis said plainly.

And just then, there was a sound. A very loud, sound. Something like…well, like an explosion. Alcestis dashed to the window, leaving Reno to roll out of bed.

"Reno…get your clothes on. Now."


	12. In which there is a lot of bleeding

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **I received a PM from an awesome person named Akari-chan who reminded me that maybe someone out there likes reading my ridiculous story. So I am posting more! Lots of thanks to her and anyone else who is reading/reviewing/commenting! You guys are the best!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Alcestis' staff flew across the room to her hand. She grasped it firmly.

"Quickly, Reno. It's time to defend the place we've taken to calling home."

Reno stumbled a bit, pulling clothes on. In only a minute, however, he was dressed and ready to go.

They dashed out the door, locking it tightly, and made a b-line for the elevator.

Standing there, Reno took his free hand and grasped Alcestis'.

"Just so you know, nothing can happen to you, yo."

She looked at him. "Why's that?"

He smiled a small smile at her. "Who would make me breakfast, yo?"

Alcestis smiled back. "Who indeed."

DING! The elevator released them into the apartment's lobby, where they exited to the street to find creatures of all sizes and shapes terrorizing the city.

They simultaneously turned towards the gates. An army was marching in.

"If ShinRa's got any SOLDIERs left, they need to appear right now." Alcestis said. Reno whipped out his cell, screamed cusswords into it for a minute, and hung up.

"Rude's on his way, yo. Says that Rufus refuses to believe that the city is being invaded."

Alcestis shook her head. "Well…it's time to engage them."

Some kind of flying creature swooped down at their heads. Alcestis lifted her staff and it flew straight into a building. It dissipated almost immediately.

Screaming a war cry, Alcestis hurled herself into the ranks of the Order. Reno, not so unwise as to watch her commit suicide, leaped in with her.

Alcestis took out one wave of them with a spell that Reno could not identify, and settled herself into a steady pattern of attacking a summoned creature, then a group of soldiers, then utilizing an elixir.

Reno was locked in a particularly intense battle with some kind of summoned creature. It appeared to be some kindof little green thing, with a lantern, and a knife. He hit over and over and over and over but it just knocked him down. He felt himself nearing loss of consciousness when he heard someone shout "A Tonberry!" and it was blasted into pieces.

"Thanks, Kess."

She tossed a potion at him in reply.

After they, along with Rude, who showed up moments later, had wiped out the little regiment that had been impeding on Sector 5, Alcestis took in a big breath. "Rude, pull out your outrageously tiny phone – I know you've got one, all you ShinRa types got one – and tell Rufus he needs to send backup here. I'm heading to Seventh Heaven."

Reno's eyes got big. "Lerina."

"Exactly."

And as the three ran to check on their favorite little girl, Rude called Rufus on his outrageously tiny phone.

"You don't understand, sir-"

Reno grabbed the phone. "Listen you cockwad, Rude, Alcestis and I single-handedly saved an entire sector of the city, but we know there's more coming. You can either send people here to make sure they don't wipe out all of Midgar, or you can watch your pretty little empire collapse when the shit hits the fan, yo. It's your fecking decision."

Alcestis grabbed it next. "And if you don't send someone here, be sure that I will know, and I will come after you. You will face horrendous, sick and cruel torture more horrible than anyone on this planet could ever imagine. So get it together, asshole." She tossed it to Rude.

"Have a nice day, sir." Rude shoved the outrageously tiny phone into his uniform. "Don't hold back, guys. Tell him how you _really_ feel."

"Was that a joke? I think that was a joke." Alcestis said. She smiled at Rude a little. He smirked back.

"It's a rare event, yo." Reno said. For a minute there, Reno thought he felt a flicker of jealousy when she smiled at Rude. Then he remembered that Rude was not the one she had been lying on while he was in boxers. The memory brought a smile to his face, one that reappeared only seconds later when a sweet little girl ran into his arms shouting "CHOCOBO! Are you okay?!"

Reno gave her a hug and said "I'm just fine, cutie. I was worried about you, yo."

Lerina nodded, and looked at his other two companions. "Ms. Magic! I missed you. And Mr. Shiny! Where've you been, naughty Mr. Shiny?"

Alcestis bit her lip. Now _that_ was funny. But her mind immediately returned to the gravity of the situation.

"Lerina, where's Tifa?"

"I'm right here." Tifa said, rounding the corner. "I heard something like bombs. What's going on?"

"The city's being invaded by the Order of the Ancients."

Cloud stepped out, following. "So they're here?"

Vincent followed him, his arms folded, the claw gleaming malevolently.

"Oh yes. They are here, in full force. They're on the other side of the city right now, but it won't be long before they arrive here." Alcestis flinched a little as she heard another bomb go off, this one closer than before. "We've got to-"

"Protect the kids." Tifa said. She took Lerina by the hand. "Sweetie, I'm going to take you to the basement, and you and the others need to stay there no matter what, okay?"

Lerina nodded. "I'll go get Marlene and them." and Lerina dashed up the stairs.

Collectively, they heard another explosion. Tifa pulled on her gloves. From seemingly nowhere, Cloud pulled out an oversized sword. Vincent produced a three-barreled gun, the infamous Cerberus, and held it firmly. Rude cracked his knuckles. Reno gave his rod an experimental twirl. The ball at the top of Alcestis' staff glowed with a pulsing light.

The six watched Lerina lead the other kids – tons of them, really – down to the basement.

And they waited.

And listened.

And waited.

And listened.

There was a knock at the door.

"We're coming in!" A gruff voice announced.

"Well don't be rude, Tifa." Alcestis said. "Open the door."

Tifa walked to the door apprehensively, and opened it. Realizing what was about to happen, she stepped out of the way.

And almost instantaneously, Alcestis raised a hand and sent the soldiers at the door flying backwards, she rushed forwards, and the others followed, prepared to fight.

There was a hail of gunfire. They all hit the ground, and Alcestis raised her staff just in time to produce a shield, enough to deflect the few bullets that might actually have hit them.

And like an enraged feline, she leaped forward, staff ahead of her producing an ominous maroon light. The spell – Holy knows what it was, Reno reflected – knocked down the first line of Soldiers. It had clearly drained her magically, at least for a little while, as she leaped into close combat next, the sharp end of her staff finding its target multiple times.

Rude and Tifa were bringing down enough soldiers with their fists, skillfully dodging the attacks of the melee weapons they produced enough to avoid major slices in their flesh. As one group of soldiers moved forward with guns, it was a small matter to watch them dodge and sink their fists into the unprotected area just underneath their helmets.

And speaking of major slices, Reno took a moment after he had shocked a soldier to admire Cloud's skills. He was slashing through the soldiers left and right, and they came to him like lambs to the slaughter. He was impressed. Not a single one of them slowed him down.

Vincent leaped around deftly, his shots accurate and his claw occasionally sinking into the flesh of an unsuspecting victim.

Reno himself took the time to deliver any number of crushing blows to his foes…he was shocked to see himself bring down so many of them. It led him to the conclusion that they were fodder, a distraction…and that the real threat was still coming.

A group of soldiers converged on them, their guns pointed at their heads. Alcestis cast another shield, which deflected the bullets, but the soldiers walked through. Tifa shot her leg out at the knee cap of one, his knee breaking with a sickening cracking sound as he howled in pain and anger. Her next kick sent his weapon flying, and her final shot was a thrust with her foot that knocked down the three soldiers behind him.

Another soldier had an electromag rod similar to Reno's. He brought his weapon down, expecting to knock out a conspicuous opponent once and for all. Reno dodged to the side and threw his weight into the man's solar plexus, locking the wind out of him long enough for Reno to rip off the helmet and nail his temple with his own rod in a side-to-side motion that knocked him out cold. Reno's face was the very image of ferocity, his eyes taking on a feral gleam. Alcestis realized she'd never seen him fight all-out before – it was terrifying.

Alcestis took a hit to the ribs as a soldier with a barbed-wire bat caught her by surprise. As she fell, she shot out one hand and the man flew backwards. Rude brought his fist up onto the man's spine, who fell to the ground limply, now unable to move. Rude grunted angrily as the man continued to cuss, spewing hateful words at them. Vincent kicked him in the face as he went by, his cloak flowing in a manner that appeared to be slow-motion even as he hopped about skillfully.

The group of them fought valiantly, bringing their weaponry down to bear on the enemy. That is, until they'd wiped out enough of them to send the remnants fleeing in retreat.

And then the real problem came, just as Reno had predicted.

A second army came barging in…one that was distinctly inhuman.

Reno's eyes bugged. "What the f-"

"Mindflayers. Minotaurs. Tonberries. Antlions. Chimeras. They certainly have thought of everything." Alcestis reflected.

"Behemoth approaches." Vincent remarked casually.

Reno felt that if his bladder had been full, he would've wet himself. It wasn't just one Behemoth, but several.

"They're acting as generals." Cloud realized.

"How could they have amassed such a force? A band of petty thieves…" Tifa murmured.

Reno heard a very distinctly industrial sound behind him. He turned to watch several choppers land on nearby roofs

The last of ShinRa's SOLDIERs had arrived.

They scaled down the side of the buildings quickly but with care, lining up behind the six of them.

The two groups stared each other down, no more than twenty feet apart. Reno felt his hands twitch. He noticed that Alcestis' palms were sweaty.

"You can't die, yo."

"I know. You either."

"Why not, yo?" He said quietly.

"Because you're my catalyst."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. So please keep yourself in one piece."

"I'll try, yo." He paused, and then asked "That day in Tifa's bar, your eyes unfocused, and you told me I was something, but never finished. What were you going to say?"

"I was going to say 'You are going to change my life.'"

"And is that true? Have I?"

Alcestis blinked, and nodded solemnly. "You have no idea."

Reno gave a small smile. So she wanted him around after all.

One of the Behemoth – the one with some kind of ornate golden chain wrapped about his horns – gave a great roar.

And they charged.

The clash was horrific. Reno was not entirely certain how to battle creatures, but he was doing his best. Defeating the creatures similar to Dark Nation had not been so much of a problem. But these beasts…they were killing machines.

He was focused mainly on the minotaurs attempting to peel the flesh from his bones, but every once in a while he would take the time necessary to kick a tonberry, sending the little green bastardization of life soaring in another direction.

Alcestis had one hand clutching a staff and casting spells while her other hand dug around for an elixir…Holy knew she was going to be needing one pretty soon. When she finally found one, she ripped the cork out with her teeth and drank it down greedily, feeling her strength return to her. Later, it would occur to her that it was just in time.

She heard a groan of pain from no more than six feet away, and broke her concentration long enough to turn and find Reno hitting the ground limply. In a heartbeat, she took in what had happened…the minotaur had used its weapon to slice open a major artery in his left leg.

She was by his side in an instant, a spell sending the offending minotaur flying onto the horns of a Behemoth. She grabbed him around the shoulders with one arm, using her other arm to hold up her staff, creating a small shield.

"Too much bleeding, yo. See you in the 'stream."

"Bullshit, Reno!" Alcestis replied.

She clutched his shoulders with fervor, and her face screwed up in concentration and effort. The barely knit flesh of her ribs where the barbed-wire bat had hit her earlier burst open, and blood began to trickle down her side. It was a terrible strain, but she forced it.

And with more strength than she even realized she had, she, along with Reno and their weaponry, promptly disappeared from the makeshift battlefield.


	13. In which a gift makes itself useful

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **I'll give you cookies if you review. :D Also, anyone going to Youmacon 2009 should let me know – I'll be going as Vincent Valentine *smug*.

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They reappeared inside Reno's apartment. The strain on Alcestis had been enormous. She dropped Reno on the couch and sank to her knees, falling sideways, vaguely aware of the _crack_ her skull hitting the floor made. She breathed raggedly, her tongue feeling dry. She had never teleported so far, to a place she couldn't physically see at that moment, much less with another person along for the ride.

Clawing at the couch cushions, she forced herself to sit up, ignoring the coagulated blood seeping through her shirt and pooling at her hip.

"Reno…" She croaked. "You've got to stay with me."

Reno felt himself drifting in out of being awake. He reflected that he felt so much better with his eyes closed, ebbing towards rest. The strange chill didn't bother him so much then. "Let me sleep, Kess."

"No, Reno! Stay awake!" She slapped him, and his eyes promptly opened, their unique blue flicking from her face to the ceiling in confusion.

Alcestis picked up one of his dirty workshirts laying on the floor, cursing to herself as tears blurred her vision. She wrapped it around the gash on his leg, biting her lip in frustration. It was spewing blood magnificently, dying his shirt a shade of crimson even darker than his hair.

Reno looked down at the dark red shirt on his leg, watching the excess drip onto the couch, the floor. "I guess it's the end for everybody's favorite Turk, yo." He said quietly.

"Bullshit, Reno!" She screamed again, unable to contain herself.

_There has to be a way,_ she thought frantically. There was no quick fix for a sliced-open artery, and her healing magic was certainly not up to it, but there had to be a way. She gripped his hand tightly, appreciating every line in his hand, taking in the swirl of his fingerprints, feeling his grip on her grow less and less strong.

"No, Reno, please…just when I find someone worth putting up with…" she said, choking back a sob.

Reno smiled at her, his eyes half open. "I knew you liked me, yo."

Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over her lashes and leaving shiny trails on her cheeks. Zan crawled out from under the bed, coming to lick Reno's face.

"That's it Zan, keep him awake." Alcestis. "Please, Reno…" she pleaded. "Please…" A sob broke out from her lips, her throat constricted. "If you give up on me now, I'll hate you forever."

He closed his eyes in response, his signature smirk twisting his lips in a way that made her ache. "No, you won't." The smirk disappeared, his head lolling to the side. "Good luck, Alcestis." he murmured.

And for a moment outside of time, its own little eternity, Alcestis reflected that she was going to lose yet someone else she loved.

She stared out the window, unable to face the tragedy that was about to befall her, Rude, the world… and saw something red gleam out of the corner of her eye.

The Tree of the Fallen Star.

How could she have been so stupid?

Desperation pumped her veins full of adrenaline, and making it easy to ignore the weak flow of blood from her ribs. She tugged at a branch of the stubborn little tree, the intensity of her anger and sadness going into the motion, until finally the branch broke off in her hand.

She unwrapped the blood-soaked shirt with shaking hands, her eyes wide. A sudden feeling of calm overtook her, and her limbs moved without conscious thought, simply doing what needed to be done. She tilted the branch just so, just enough that the mako-laced glucose inside would drip onto his wound.

Before her eyes, the artery sealed. The muscle mended, the flesh knitting itself together in a way that simultaneously disgusting and amazing. The skin closed up, but still she poured more on, emptying the contents of the branch on his leg. She rubbed it in gently, not daring to glance at his face.

She plucked off each of the leaves from the branch, rubbing them across the spot of his wound. She also laid a series of them on his chest… it was supposed to improve the performance of his heart, she remembered, some echo of her research from long ago stumbling through her mind. She could tell his blood pressure was increasing just as it should when his eyes fluttered open.

"How the hell am I alive, yo?" He asked weakly, his eyes glazed over slightly. She admired the manner in which their vibrant blue irises shone in the sunlight streaming in through the windows, their every facet catching the light. She threw her torso onto his chest, harder than she had intended, and settled her head just beneath his neck.

"Because you need to be…yo."

Reno lifted an arm, shaking. He patted her on the back weakly, his breathing shallow. "Go on, now, Alcestis. Make sure Lerina and the others are all right."

Alcestis cracked off another branch, and downed its contents, swallowing quickly. She felt her the wound at her side close up, and felt a strange high shift through her veins, filling her with an excess of magic.

She wrapped her arms around him once more, clutching her staff and his rod in one hand, and teleported them once more.

In Seventh Heaven, she helped Reno down the basement stairs…he had a small limp, and left him with his rod, the children, and explicit instructions not to let anything happen to them or she would reopen that wound herself.

He smiled at her knowingly. "Yeah, all right, yo. Just get back in one piece."

But when Alcestis stepped outside, the battle had more or less ended. There was only one opponent left.

The lead Behemoth.

She clutched her staff tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She murmured something, and thrust her staff into the air. She moved it to the left, then the right, placed the top of it over her left shoulder, then thrust it outward once more, a ball of glowing light. The light engulfed the creature, freezing all its motion. It was frozen, temporarily incapable of movement.

Rude and Tifa rained blows on its front legs until it collapsed. It growled idly, still unable to strike back. Cloud's sword glowed with an eerie light, and he skillfully sunk his blade into the creature's neck. It grunted. Its eyes flickered with its last moment of life…

And then Vincent eloquently shot it in the face.

It slumped, its paralysis relieved…and separated into little balls of glowing red light, slinking into the ground.

Everywhere, the corpses of monsters began the same process, leaving only fallen ShinRa SOLDIERs struggling to stand…or also taking part in a return to the Lifestream.

There was a moment of silence.

Alcestis watched the little sprites of light, of life that once was, drift lazily into the ground, as though they had all the time in the world. Death surrounded them, had very nearly engulfed them. Her eyes closed as she imagined Reno turning to light, drifting down through the floor of their apartment. Her heart contracted, and she opened her eyes. Everyone has to die someday, she knew. But not Reno. Not today. She had saved someone that meant something to her, and that was everything.

Vincent surveyed each of his companions, his face passive as always. Cloud frowned, great creases forming on his forehead. Tifa traded a glance with Alcestis, both thinking of the children, and Rude cracked his knuckles, clearing his throat.

"Perhaps we should attend to the children. They are undoubtedly scared."

The others nodded, and they walked rather quickly back towards Tifa's place of business. They descended into the basement, nervously, hearing no sound whatsoever. Vincent burst through first, his gun raised.

Alcestis came in and pushed his arm down.

There, on the grubby basement floor, the kids were watching Reno and Lerina play some kind of board game with Materia. They'd drawn squares into the dirt and Reno's materia was hopping over Lerina's. The kids were fascinated.

"Reno, what are you doing?"

Reno turned to look at her. "What? I could've taught them Chocobo Run, instead, yo." He smiled slyly. "Or perhaps I should leave that to you, Kess."

Alcestis blushed furiously.

"No thank you."

Vincent, Cloud and Tifa all raised an eyebrow at her.

"She's a card shark." Rude muttered.

"I am not." She muttered, turning all the more red.

Lerina stood up and bounced over to Alcestis, wrapping her little arms around her thigh. "Are we safe, Ms. Magic?"

"For now, sweet. For now."


	14. In which Alcestis gets into Reno's pants

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **I bet you want to leave a review. I bet you do. You know you want to.

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It was evening. Alcestis laid lazily on the couch, flipping channels. Reno busied himself with their dirty dishes from the past week.

"Every channel still on about the camp setting up shop outside of Midgar?"

"Talking about the vast invasion force waiting for another chance to rush in and kill us all." She replied, yawning. She was glad Reno had done the dishes that day. There had been a lot of pleas at the Bounty Office for personal bodyguards…and nothing else. She'd spent the day going door to door, informing people that they needed to take the case for protection of the city to ShinRa. Reno had informed her that Rufus had been rather upset with the sheer number of protesters clogging up his lobby and screaming outside his building.

"They've been sitting outside the city for a week since we beat them down, yo." Reno threw the last dish into the tiny dishwasher, which was crammed full well past its capacity. "D'you think it might be a good time for us to slip off to the other continent?"

Alcestis sat up and peeked at Reno from behind the top of the couch. "You want to go with me?"

Reno froze, and blinked at her. "Well, yeah, yo. I mean, after you've saved me – twice-"

"The first time doesn't count. I caused those injuries."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Fine. After you saved my life, I might as well come along and keep an eye out for you. Wouldn't want you to leave, write a few letters and then never come back, yo."

Alcestis' eyes shone slightly with tears. He gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Hey. I promise that'll never happen with me, mkay?"

Alcestis blinked, and nodded. "Okay. I'm glad you want to come with me. But I must ask you to stay here. For your own safety."

Reno gave her a deadpan look, and leaned on the kitchen counter. "So the tonberries can come stab me in my bed? No thanks, yo."

"Reno, I don't think you understand. I'm simply not giving you the choice."

Reno leaned over onto the counter more, placing one arm on it entirely from the elbow down and setting his other elbow down so that he could prop his head on his fist. "Now, what if I told you I had a contact who knew where the place you're looking for is, yo?"

"That's impossible."

"Oh, it's possible. She survived one of the expeditions to find the place. Apparently they found it – and she was one of three to make it back alive."

"Reno-"

"But you don't get her expertise unless I get to come."

She narrowed her eyes. "This is blackmail." She muttered.

"Naw, that's only if I know some dirt on you I'm willing to spill. This is coercion, yo."

"You cad."

He grinned at her. "Yes or no, babe?"

She bristled at being referred to as "babe", and then nodded.

"All right. Fine, then."

He grinned even wider. "That's what I thought, yo."

Alcestis snorted, and then yawned again, using a hand to mess up her hair a little. "I need a shower. I'll be out shortly. If I'm in there for more than an hour, send a search party after me."

"You're pretty funny, yo."

"I like to think so…yo."

And as she entered the washroom Reno heard her giggle.

-~-*Å*-~-

After she'd been in the shower for fifteen minutes, Reno warmed up something to eat – it was some kind of meatpie that Rude had suggested to him, and Reno figured he had nothing to lose. He heated up one for Alcestis, too. It simply wouldn't do for her to come out and discover that he'd made himself a late dinner and nothing for her.

After she'd been in the shower for half an hour and Reno had finished eating, he settled down to watch some television.

After she'd been in the shower for forty-five minutes, Reno changed into his pajamas – flannel pants and a t-shirt – and sat back down on the couch, watching some stupid action movie about jackrabbits that ate materia.

After she'd been in the shower for an hour, Reno finally stood. Her meatpie was getting cold. He knocked on the door of the washroom. "It's your official search party, yo, coming to save you."

No answer.

"Did you drown in there, yo?"

Silence.

"I'm coming in."

No response.

He tentatively opened the door to find her wrapped up in a towel, sitting on his sink, and sleeping peacefully. Her mouth was slightly open and her chest rose and fell with shallow breathing. Her hair was still half in, half out of braids, as always, but loose, dripping, and sitting gently on her shoulders.

"You're damn pretty, yo." Reno muttered to himself under his breath. He allowed his eyes to travel the length of her whole body for one moment. "And damn sexy, yo." But he shook his head as if to remove the thought. No way was he getting this one into bed.

He gently shook her shoulder and was promptly blasted into the wall. He slid down onto his butt with an _oof!_

"You promised you wouldn't come in here!" She shrieked.

He held his arms protectively over his head. "You fell asleep! You've been in here an hour! I'm your damn search party, yo, and I'm unarmed!" He shouted back.

She put a hand to her mouth and slid off his sink, and, making sure the towel was secure, helped Reno up.

"Oh, Reno! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to--I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep--are you okay? Your tailbone isn't cracked or anything right? Oh, I'm so sorry!"

She fussed over him all the way over to the couch, until he silenced her with an "I'M FINE, YO!"

She became quiet and looked at her feet repentantly. She reminded him of a student who had misbehaved during class and was awaiting punishment.

So he broke the silence with a laugh.

"I can't believe you fell asleep sitting on my sink, yo. There are plenty of other more comfortable places in here. Or is it that you prefer sleeping naked? That's fine, yo, you can keep the bed, I'll take the couch…"

She laughed nervously. "I am really sorry…yo."

He grinned at her mischievously. "Or we can both sleep in the bed while you're naked, yo."

She looked at him, at first appearing aghast, but it changed to a slightly embarrassed smile.

"No thanks. But if you've got an extra pair of pajama pants, I'll wear that. It's starting to get chilly sleeping all alone in your bed in nothing but a tank and undies."

Reno laughed, and muttered something while he went over to the drawers by his bed about her wanting in his pants, yo.  
-~-*Å*-~-

She even offered to let him sleep in the bed with her, as it was rude to kick a host out of their own bed, but she wanted the bed, too – but she made sure to specify that that did not include sleeping with him. He had put his hands up in surrender. "I promise I won't molest you, yo."

So she had laid down in his bed in her blue tank top and shimmied for a minute until she produced a satiny-black bra out from under the covers and threw it onto the floor.

Reno stared at her blankly. "You can do that without removing your shirt?"

"Yes."

"Crazy, yo."

"Yes."

"So girls don't sleep with bras on?"

"No. It's uncomfortable and, on occasion, restricting. You didn't know that?"

"Well, I've never fallen asleep next to a woman who was clothed, yo."

"You don't really have any shame, do you, Reno?"

"Not really, yo."

"There are a great many things I could probably tell you about women, Reno. But that would require me having no shame."

Reno switched off the light and yawned. "I thought black mages were the lusty type."

"The males are."

"You think that about all males, don't you, yo?"

"More or less. But there are exceptions."

"Like who?"

"Well, Cloud Strife seems pretty well behaved."

"All women say that, yo."

"Hint of jealousy, Reno?"

"Not really. But I have heard many, many, MANY women express admiration for him."

"He's the sort that's easy to admire."

"You can't tell me that all that women like about him are his deeds, yo."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I need to specify, yo. But in my opinion, the size of that sword is compensating for something."

Alcestis couldn't stop herself from chuckling. "I can't even believe you just said that."

"Believe it, yo. Anybody else?"

"Vincent Valentine?"

"He's a piece of work. Used to be a Turk, you know. Had a thing for some chick…her named started with L, I think. Weird guy. He's always…what's the word…"

"Brooding?"

"That's it, yo. Haven't seen him at all since the battle at Tifa's place."

"I guess that's true. What about you, Reno? Are you that the lusty type, or the well behaved type?"

"I don't think I need to answer that, yo."

"All you ShinRa types are alike. Overblown concept of yourselves."

Reno cocked an eyebrow, and decided to chance an insult. "And all you damn mages are alike. Charm someone until you stab them in the gut."

"That's hardly fair. Furthermore, it's a stereotype."

"Then I'd say we're even, yo."

"Sorry. I guess I have a little bit different view of ShinRa than everyone else."

Reno paused. He'd known that, of course, but now he was even more curious, since she'd brought it up herself. "Why's that, yo?"

"When I was a little kid…" she sighed. "I had just discovered I was really very good with magic. I was playing in a forest by my hometown when a bunch of monsters – can't remember what they were called, but they're the kind that feed on magic – attacked me. I thought I was going to die. But a SOLDIER saved me."

"What was he like, yo?"

"Valiant. Good-hearted. Slew them all and helped me up and led me back home by the hand. He told me to be more careful about where I played and that he had to go back to his unit. He was my inspiration for becoming a full-fledged mage, so that I could help people as he had me. He even gave me a cute little magic pendant with his name on it."

"What was his name?"

"Sephiroth."

Reno flinched. He was glad it was dark – she couldn't see him.

"What'd you do with the pendant, yo?"

"Well, after he went insane, the pendant got all weird. It would glow every once in a while. I figured out that it had Jenova cells in it."

"So what did you do with it?"

"The only sensible thing. Said a prayer that he may become upon his death the man he was when I had met him and tossed the damn thing into the life stream."

"I'm sorry that I'm not more like the nice Sephiroth, yo."

"It's all right. I prefer you, Reno."

"Why's that, yo?"

She smiled, and even in the darkness when he couldn't see her Reno got the weird happy feeling. "Because you've got a conscience in spite of your work and you're not prone to madness. Besides which, I'm extraordinarily fond of you, and I just can't seem to figure out why…yo."

Reno grinned and wondered if Alcestis had the weird happy feeling. "You too, huh? I'm pretty fond of me, too, yo."

"Shameless."

Reno shook his head. He was glad he'd invited her home. "As always. Goodnight, yo."

"Goodnight, Reno."


	15. In which a whacky crew is assembled

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **This is where the story starts to change. The setting will shift from Midgar into various other settings, and I introduce some new characters which I have grown to love in my constant editing. This is going to get even more non-canonical, but I've tried to keep it as plausible as possible. My favorite parts are yet to come :)

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Reno had willingly followed Alcestis down to Seventh Heaven, though he had had no idea why she had wanted to go there so bad.

Now that he knew, he had nothing better to do but to sit down, bounce Lerina on his knee and have a good, strong drink.

"Please Cloud, I can't go with just Turks, they'll tell ShinRa everything, I need someone else to go with me and you are the perfect choice-"

"No. I do not trust ShinRa, which is why I do not go. They will not protect this city." Cloud said simply.

After twenty minutes of arguing with Cloud, Alcestis turned her gaze to Tifa who almost immediately said, "No."

"Tifa, please-"

"You've got Reno. You're fine."

"Just Reno isn't enough." She said, practically whining.

"That's not what you said last night, yo." Reno said.

She gasped and glared at him angrily. Reno swore he saw steam rising from her ears. Tifa and Cloud both had a look of surprise on their face, their eyes wide.

"What? I was just kidding. Damn, you guys. Gullible." Reno said, shaking his head. He took another swallow of his drink.

Vincent entered the bar quietly, carrying with him what appeared to be a grocery bag. He set the bag down quietly on the counter, and swooped into the room, which was now filled with awkward silence.

"May I ask…?"

"Alcestis needs someone besides a few Turks to go with her on her trip to find…what was it?" Tifa asked.

"An ancient library of magical knowledge that will tell us the full tale of the power-hungry man and the Potestas Summon."

Vincent blinked. "The man who sought to own the world, through any means possible?"

Alcestis nodded, inclining her head. "You've heard of it."

Vincent appeared not to be staring at her, but through her. "I have heard a great many things in my lifetime."

"One that never ends?" She asked, gently, having always been curious.

He met Alcestis' gaze. "I do not age, any longer." He said simply. It was an empty voice…the voice of a defeated man. In observing him…really observing him for the first time, Alcestis realized his eyes were hollow. There was nothing there. He was obviously trapped by his own demons…his sins.

Like everyone else. Her heart skipped in sympathy.

"I will go with you." Vincent said.

Everyone in the room perked. "What?" Tifa said. "Vincent, the city-"

"ShinRa will not allow their sweet, sweet empire and comfortable lifestyle to be interrupted. They will take care of Midgar." Vincent said quietly.

Tifa closed her hanging open mouth abruptly, having been skillfully rebuked. Cloud turned his head away from the group, staring at a wall blankly.

"Well, you won't be the only ageless one in the party, yo." Reno commented, picking at Lerina's hair which was braided with beads in it. Vincent and Alcestis both cocked their heads at him.

"Oh, sorry, guess I should elaborate. Cyrene doesn't age either. She's permanently stuck at age 25." Reno said.

They continued staring, expectant. Reno sighed.

"She was an experiment. ShinRa wanted the perfect special agent, and Cyrene was it. They enhanced a bunch of stuff, I don't know what all, but she doesn't age anymore, yo."

Alcestis turned to Vincent. "I appreciate it, Vincent, more than you know."

Vincent nodded silently, his eyes a mess of red and amber, focusing on her. Alcestis felt as though he was staring into her soul; a bit unsettling, she thought. "The myth is one that I have heard a great many times…" he turned his head slightly, staring off into nothing. "That it might be true was a great fear of Lucrecia's…"

The mention of the name sent chills through everyone in the room. The one who had given birth to Sephiroth. The room remained silent for a few moments before Alcestis began walking towards the door.

"I've obviously got all the help I'm getting. It's time to be going." She said. Reno awarded Lerina a small kiss on the top of her head and followed. Vincent followed the two out the door, his only goodbye a simple, inquisitive look towards his friends before he exited in a flourish of his cloak.

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis and Rufus shook hands, which Reno chose to take as a good sign. Neither was making any attempt to harm the other, and both had agreed to cease major hostilities for the time being. Though it made the situation more calm, Reno quietly wondered what constituted major vs. minor hostilities.

"So you see that it is in your own best interest to offer me assistance." Alcestis said, point-blank.

Rufus nodded, and glanced at Reno. "Yes, I see. I suppose you'll be wanting Reno to go with you."

Alcestis shot him a nasty glance, obviously wanting him to remain, and Reno gave her a cutely innocent look with a pouty lip, as though he hadn't coerced her.

"Yes, I suppose." Alcestis replied.

Rufus looked behind her to see Vincent leaning against the wall, giving Rufus a long stare. Rufus had apparently recognized him as a former Turk from ages ago, as he opened his mouth as though to say something, but he obviously thought better of it, as he closed it again rather quickly.

"I am offering you the assistance of Rude, and, if you would like, Tseng and Elena-"

"Aw, come on, boss, you know no one can put up with that blonde wench for that long, yo." Reno said.

Elena cleared her throat loudly, having just entered the room.

Reno looked her straight in the eye, completely without shame. "Oh. It's _you_. I was hoping it would be someone of value, yo."

Elena glared at him simply, and leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the doorframe from Vincent, pouting. Tseng entered, followed by Rude, who cocked Alcestis and Reno an eyebrow as a greeting. Reno rubbed the back of his neck. The tension in the room was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

Rude was followed by someone that Alcestis did not recognize, but who, by her clothing, must have been a Turk. She had bouncy brown hair, and an annoyingly chipper expression on her face. She must've been a newbie to this branch, because she was still wearing her name badge, which read "Hello, My Name is:", and, in bubbly handwriting, "Yetta." She had classic honey-brown eyes and a grin from ear-to-ear. She did not look like a naïve rookie, but she was obviously the most optimistic person in the room. Alcestis wanted to gag herself, but refrained.

"Rufus, what is this…?" She asked instead.

"This is your support. Reno, Rude, Tseng, Elena, and Yetta will assist you during your travel. They've been ordered to see to it that you succeed."

"ShinRa, I was told that we'd be going with someone who actually knew where exactly we were headed." Alcestis said scathingly.

Rufus nodded, sighing. "Cyrene often chooses to make an entrance."

As if on cue, the woman swept into the room gracefully. She wore a white button-up shirt covered by a silver vest with matching silver skirt, and knee high white boots. A white hooded cloak billowed behind her, fluttering delicately. Her skin was decidedly pale, her hair, a blonde so blonde it was practically white, and her eyes a shade of blue so light they appeared icy. She arched one of her high eyebrows at the ridiculous group, pulling at the barely wrist-high white glove that covered her right hand.

Alcestis stuck her hand out plainly. "Salutations." She said in a flat tone of voice. "My name is Alcestis Mirro, and I assume you're Cyrene."

Cyrene stared at her hand for a moment, her eyes lost looking at something else, before taking it and shaking it gently, suddenly donning a smile. "Greetings, Alcestis. I shall be honored to assist you."

"Cyrene used to be a very highly qualified special agent-" Rufus began.

"Like a Turk?" Vincent asked quietly, his low voice, so rarely used, attracting attention. Reno's eyebrows rose in surprise that he had spoken at all.

"No," Rufus said. "For clarification's sake, I will tell you that she was not a Turk, per se…but not what she was. It doesn't matter, because now, she has taken on the title of white mage."

Alcestis felt a sudden urge to gag herself. Healing magic. Ugh. She made eye contact with Reno, who stifled a small laugh.

"Alcestis is a black mage, if you're interested." Reno offered, biting his lip. Alcestis shot him a glare. This was not funny.

"Oh, goody. So after she's done beating herself up and amping up her sex drive with all her offensive magic, I get to put her back together again." Cyrene said, exasperated already.

Reno cocked an eyebrow at Alcestis, but addressed his comment to Cyrene. "What do you mean, amping up her sex drive?"

"Offensive magic increases sexual desire." Cyrene answered plainly. "I thought that was common knowledge."

Reno shook his head and grinned wildly at Alcestis. "Not exactly, yo. Wish it was, though." Reno said. Alcestis grimaced. She could sense mass teasing coming her way.

The other Turks in the room had been politely quiet, but Tseng, being who he was, couldn't help from opening his mouth.

"Can we please get this over with, Rufus? I'm getting rather sick of having to waste my time like this."

Rufus frowned at him. "'Get it over with?' I don't think you understand, dear Tseng. This will not be a two-day excursion. You will have to proceed on foot."

"WHAT?!" Alcestis shrieked. "What the hell do you mean on foot?!?"

The other Turks caused quite an uproar, shouting over the top of one another. Even the bubbly Yetta was mouthing perplexedly, her full lips coming together repeatedly. Cyrene settled onto a spot on the wall next to Vincent, who sighed.

"It never changes, does it, Vincent?" Cyrene asked.

Vincent turned his intense red gaze to her. "Pardon?"

"You're in the files here more than once, Valentine." Cyrene said plainly, keeping her eyes on the chaos of five Turks and one black mage threatening the corporation head with innumerable kinds of violence.

"SHUT UP!" Rufus screamed, his model-like hair becoming slightly disheveled, his hands pulling at it. "Just shut the hell up!" They quieted, the Turks mainly submissively, except for Reno, who shrugged. Alcestis merely glared daggers at him.

Rufus took a deep breath with closed eyes, regaining his composure. "Look, I can't have you going off in a goddamn chopper, no matter how competent a pilot Reno is."

Alcestis cocked an eyebrow at him, as if to say, "You can pilot helipcopters? What the hell?" He smirked and shrugged in a fakely modest sort of way. Rufus continued.

"Everybody and their brother, including the army outside, would know if a chopper went buzzing over their goddamn heads. You think they don't know we know what they're about now? They'd follow you, get any information out of you they think is worthwhile, and squash you dead. I want you all alive, thank you. Well, almost all of you alive." His gaze flicked briefly over Alcestis, who resisted the great temptation to spit on his shoes. "You're going to have to head out discreetly, and that means feet."

Yetta decided to try and keep spirits up. "No worries, right guys? We're all in it together, right?"

The response was in perfect synchronization from everyone in the room, even Vincent. "Just shut the hell up."


	16. In which a very unique ship is boarded

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Thanks for waiting :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following morning when Alcestis woke she immediately began to double-check their supplies and ensure that all of their things were packed, leaving her roommate snoozing in the bed. Reno had spent the entire previous night making any number of jokes at her expense regarding the destructive power-sex drive link. He had made an endless number of innuendos, and while Alcestis had to admit herself that some of them were clever or funny, overall the whole thing had been annoying. His perpetual teasing had driven her to not speaking to him, which didn't seem to faze him a bit. Instead, he had just come out with "So, if you're living with me and you need an outlet for your sexual drive… and you're not using me, though you should… Is that why you spend so much time in the bathroom when you shower?"

Alcestis had slapped him. Presently, she looked over at the bed to find that he still had a red handprint on his face. Served him right.

Reno stirred, and rolled over with an arm out to apparently capture Alcestis, had she still been in bed. Finding no one there, Reno opened his sleepy eyes and found her standing next to the bed, a suitcase open.

"We packed ev'rything last night, 'member?" He said sleepily, his blue eyes only half open.

The dark jade of her eyes pierced his. Evidently, Reno thought, she was still angry about his teasing.

"Look, Kess, it was just a few jokes. It was too good to pass up, yo." He said, smirking slightly.

"I know, Reno, I know." She muttered. She decided to let it go, for now.

But if he ever brought it up again, he'd better hope that there weren't any trees or walls around.

Reno sat up in bed, his white t-shirt and flannel pants completely wrinkled from having worn them so long without washing them. He took the time to grin, realizing that Alcestis was still wearing his extra pair of pajama pants. He snuck up behind her, her attention apparently still focused on her mental checklist of things in the suitcase. He grabbed her around the middle and fell over, taking her - kicking and screaming - with him.

When she finally escaped his grasp after much struggling, Reno lay on the bed laughing, and Alcestis couldn't manage to keep a small smile off her face.

"Reno, you are such an idiot."

He waved at her, still laughing. "It's what I do best, yo. You like me anyway, though, right?"

"Right…" she muttered. "Just don't ever ask me how much… or rather, how little."

Reno put a hand over his heart, still laughing idly. "That hurts, yo. But y'know, I'm curious…how _do _you manage to ignore your sex drive?"

"I just suppress it." She answered plainly, her shoulders stiffening slightly.

"That's not good for you, yo." He sat up, and leaned close to whisper in her ear. "If you ever need an outlet, I'm always available," he murmured, grinning from ear to ear.

Alcestis' breath caught, and she froze for a moment before issuing a reply. "Screw you, Reno." She said acidly, shaking her head, and stepping away from him, busying herself with the bag.

"That's the idea." He replied. She decided to move on. "So when are we embarking on our little adventure again?"

"In about twenty minutes, at the seventh gate." She replied. "And it's not a little adventure. This is serious, Reno. Meant to be taken seriously. There is a very serious objective, and if we mess it up, we are in for some major consequences."

Reno waved his hand, blowing it off. "Whatever. That's what they always say, yo."

"Reno, have you ever taken anything seriously in your life?" She asked plainly, almost (but not quite) laughingly.

Reno's facial expression became somewhat more sober, and he replied, very quietly, "You."

It was probably the last thing she had expected him to say, and when she turned to look at him, he gave her a small smile and a shrug, as though slightly embarrassed.

She smiled, and he felt goosebumps flare up all over his body. "Good. Maybe I am glad you're coming along, then."

Reno smiled back. "I should say so, yo." He stood, and began rummaging through a drawer in an effort to find clothes more presentable to the world. "We got twenty minutes. Let's get it together, yo."

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis shifted uncomfortably as she stood between Reno and Vincent, waiting for the arrival of the Turks and whatever sending away Rufus cared to offer them. Her arms were crossed with her staff pressed between her body and her arms, her legs crossed at the ankle as she leaned back into a wall, the buckle on the strap to her duffle bag of possessions pressing uncomfortably into her back. She sighed.

"Getting impatient, Kess?" Reno asked playfully.

"Maybe." She muttered, glaring daggers at the direction in which they were supposed to be arriving.

"Apparently you did last night as well." Vincent commented, gesturing to the handprint still on Reno's face, a light shade of pink.

"Naw, I had that one coming, yo." Reno said. "Surprised she didn't slap me before now."

Alcestis nodded. "Me too."

Silence.

"Reno…where has Zan been the past few days?"

"Surprised you haven't noticed before now. I left him with the kids at Seventh Heaven. Tifa says he's a big hit there."

Alcestis nodded, and smiled a little, thinking of Lerina stroking Zan. "I bet."

"I noticed the Tree of the Fallen Star there, too, yo."

"Yes, well, didn't want it to die, and couldn't very well haul it along." She pulled a sundial out of her bag and held it up, checking the time. "If Rufus keeps me waiting any longer, I'm going to teleport to his office…and kill him." She muttered.

"Now, now," a silvery voice chided, maternally disapproving. "Violent tendencies suit no one, not even a black mage." Cyrene appeared seemingly out of nowhere, the other Turks following her from around the corner. Rufus brought up the rear, with two armed escorts, grunts for certain.

"'Bout damn time." Alcestis said. "I assume you've provided your puppets with all the crap we'll need?" She asked brusquely.

Rufus nodded. "We've accounted for essentially every possiblity. My recommendation is that you move out quickly. If you head west, there is a small port. I've provided a ship for you there to get you to Costa Del Sol…I assumed you wanted to avoid going South into their territory?"

Alcestis nodded tersely.

"Very well. I expect that you and Tseng will be working together in a leader capacity."

Cyrene cleared her throat. Rufus sighed.

"Cyrene expects you to check with her before you make any major decisions."

Alcestis thought for a moment that she was going to throw up a little in her mouth, yet she somehow managed to suppress it.

"Whatever, yo. Let's just get going. I'm antsy for some hiking, yo."

Alcestis shook her head at him. "Reno, you're a city boy."

"Fine then. I'm anxious to go. Let's just _go_ already, yo."

With a mock-salute at Rufus, Alcestis exited the gate, her new team of people she didn't trust walking after her grudgingly.

-~-*Å*-~-

It had been three hours of walking. The Turk suits were not conducive to this kind of travel, and Reno found it rather funny to see other members of the Turks changing their style to match his…untucked shirt, removed tie, unbuttoning a few buttons. Yetta shamelessly unbuttoned her shirt more than anyone else…all the way down. Tseng cast her a disapproving look. She snapped at him.

"I've been with ShinRa longer than you, moron. I'll catch a tan while sweating to death if I feel like it."

"Little edgy, are we?" Cyrene said in the voice that a mother would use on their five year old child.

"Don't you patronize me, you albino whore." Yetta muttered. Alcestis and Reno traded raised eyebrows with Rude.

"I'm not an albino. I'm genetically engineered." Cyrene replied bitterly.

"Yeah, yeah. Just because you have a perfect memory…"

"One that allows me to relive every horror of my life as though it were a moment ago? Do you think I feel superior to you because of that?" Cyrene spat.

Yetta rolled her eyes. "Actually, if you'd like to know what I _really_ think-"

"Oh for Holy's sake, just shut the hell up, both of you." Tseng said, exasperated. Elena squeezed his hand for a moment, trying to give him moral support. He shook her hand off and put his hand to his forehead instead. Elena shot him a dirty look.

"The port is only fifteen minutes away, if any of you care." Vincent commented quietly.

Fifteen minutes of silence and another hour of preparations (and petty arguments) later, they were on board one of many ShinRa ships.

"There's only one cabin," Tseng explained. "It's intended to be a private ship for one or two people, so we're going to have to pile into one room."

The group collectively groaned.

"Oh, shut the hell up," Tseng muttered. "It'll be a roomy cabin, if I know Rufus."

Tseng stuck the key in, heard the door unlock with a satisfying click, opened the door, and gasped, abruptly shutting the door.

"No, no, no, _no_, he did _not_ give us _this_ ship…" Tseng said, his eyes closed, groaning.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Alcestis said, shoving him out of the way and opening the door. She looked disgusted at what she found there.

"The entire cabin is nothing but pillows. The entire floor is covered in spherical and cubic pillows, and the room is lined with couches. It looks more like a playplace in a restaurant than a cabin! What the hell is this?!"

"Yetta, check the side of the ship." Tseng commanded.

Yetta obeyed, running over to the rail, and leaning over just slightly.

"It's…" She turned back towards the group. "It's the ShinRa Ship Cushy."

They stared at her deadpan.

"Are you telling me we're sailing aboard the _S.S. CUSHY_?!" Alcestis demanded. "What the f-"

"FUN!" Reno yelled, running and diving with a whoop into the cabin, and abruptly disappearing amongst the pillows.

The rest stared after him. "What a dumbass." Elena muttered.

"So what you're telling me…" Alcestis said. "…is that Rufus gave us some kind of miniature luxury cruise liner?"

Tseng nodded. "For two, yeah."

"Two what? Five-year-olds?" Elena scoffed.

Alcestis sighed, and stuck her head inside the cabin. "Reno, where the hell are you?"

His head popped out from amongst the cushions. "Right here. You know, it's actually like six feet deep and just filled with cushions?"

"Holy, the rich spend their money on _the_ most ridiculous things." Cyrene sighed.

"No kidding, yo." Reno said, climbing out of the cabin.

"Well, let's get un-packed," Tseng muttered. "We've got three days on this playground until we get to Costa Del Sol."

"You've got to be kidding." Alcestis said.

Tseng met her eyes with a look identical to hers – hopelessness. "I'm afraid not."

-~-*Å*-~-

Each member of the party had their own couch to sleep on. Vincent insisted on being closest to the door, should anyone intrude; and around the room, clockwise, was Vincent, Alcestis, Reno, Rude, Tseng, Elena, Yetta, and Cyrene was on the other couch closest to the door, on the opposite side. Also, it appeared that some of the pillows would glow in the dark, casting an eerie light on everyone's sleeping faces.

The rest of the party was sleeping peacefully, but Alcestis was wide awake, pondering. Why was she traveling with a group of people she barely knew? To face off against some faceless, long-dead evil? To stop a man from millennia ago from taking over the world? She thought herself ridiculous…why had ShinRa gone along with it?

"What the hell am I doing here?" She muttered quietly out loud.

"Saving the world, yo." Came the gentle reply, a whisper. Reno stuck his head up and peered at her over the arm of his couch, his red hair catching the slightest bit of light in the darkness and his blue eyes as vibrant as ever, if a bit sleepy.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Alcestis asked.

"Naw, I'm having trouble sleeping on this leather monstrosity, yo. Something wrong?"

She sighed. "Doesn't it seem a bit silly to go rushing off to fight an evil that hasn't existed in ages?"

Reno shook his head. "Actually, Rufus had been doing some research of his own, so I found out just before we left. He figured the same as you, yo."

"So that's why he was willing to offer me assistance." She said.

"Why did you think, yo?"

"I figured you had connived it somehow."

Reno grinned. "I pushed him towards letting you come with us. He was going to make the Turks go hunting at any rate, but when you brought up the cave-thing he thought of Cyrene and enlisted you both to come with, yo."

She shook her head. "Am I a fool?"

"No." That was not Reno's voice in the darkness, it was from behind her. It was much deeper than Reno's…more foreboding. She turned and looked at Vincent.

"Have you been awake all this time?"

"Somewhere between asleep and awake." He replied. "But no, you are not a fool. Lucrecia was not a fool… and she believed as you do… when she lived."

Alcestis and Reno examined him for a moment. She spoke first. "Vincent… How… how did you know Lucrecia?"

Vincent's red-amber eyes stared off into nothing as his memories flooded him. "I was a Turk, once, just as you are, Reno. I… I was assigned to watch over the Jenova project… Lucrecia was so beautiful, so intelligent, yet so…naïve. But I fell for her. And she was harmed, because I failed to protect her as I was intended to… My sin…" he murmured. He cleared his throat. "She was a scientist, and I was basically just her bodyguard. I attempted to court her, win her over, but she felt loyalty to Hojo… loyalty that developed into something more, I suppose." At this, Vincent looked as though he winced slightly, but it was hard to tell in the dark. "I tried to stop her from allowing the experiment on her own child… her and Hojo's child… but she could not be swayed… he would not be swayed… and the result…" his voice trailed off. They all knew the result.

Cyrene moaned a little in her sleep. It was a moan of despair, of hatred. She was clutching her temples, and writhing slightly. Alcestis' eyes widened greatly.

"She'll be doing that a lot." Vincent murmured quietly. "Because the clarity of her enhanced memory, she sees every detail of horror from her past and feels the feelings she felt then as though they were a moment ago. She's on the edge of insanity all the time."

"That's terrible." Alcestis whispered quietly.

"Any mention of her past will probably cause her to act that way. Or else try to hold it all in. And ultimately collapse under the weight of it. But, as for your situation, I say this. I made a mistake. I loved someone I could not have. I loved someone I could not save." His voice was somber. "But I did something right. I loved someone who was not a fool. She was wise, in her own way… as are you, Alcestis. You are more worldly than a great many people. You have made a good decision." He focused his eyes on her face. "And chosen a good partner."

She glanced at Reno, who grinned stupidly. She turned back to Vincent. "What do you mean, 'partner'?"

"Reno is the one you share your living space with, yes? You must hold him in some kind of positive esteem. He will treat you well, I think." Vincent said, his face passive…always passive…

"Reno and I aren't…_involved_." She said.

Vincent nodded. "My mistake. It's just that you obviously share a rapport… and you're obviously worried about each other, perpetually. It's all over both of you. It's rare to see that kind of companionship between two people who aren't in love."

"Well, then we're a rarity." Alcestis said simply.

Vincent nodded, turning his head to stare at nothing, listen for nothing, say nothing. Alcestis returned her gaze to Reno, who inclined his head, his ridiculous smile gone.

"So I'm still only a good friend, eh?" he asked, almost playful, rolling over onto his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Reno…" she began. "You know… I can't… I'm not…"

He turned back to look at her, smiling. "Aw, stop it, Kess. I just assumed there had to be a reason you stuck around… If a place to stay is all, that's fine, yo."

"Reno, there are… I can't even believe I'm saying this." She turned her eyes upwards, looking for the right words, but couldn't find a way around that specific four-letter one. "There are signs if a mage is in _love_, and you don't exhibit any of them."

Reno shook his head at her. "Kess…it's fine. Seriously. I don't have _real_ feelings for women, remember? Harlots every other night of the week."

"Reno, do you…?"

"That's a question for another day, yo. For now, you just get some sleep. I'll see if they keep any muffins on board tomorrow morning. Bet they're not as good as yours, though, yo."

"Reno, are you upset with me at all?" she asked, obviously still worried…and apparently, a little bit confused.

"Oh no, yo." He said. "But Vincent is right, I do worry about you. So get some sleep, yo. I will too, promise."

He rolled back over, and heard her settle in under the big comforter, her mind calmed, and he listened until he heard her breathing slow, knowing that she was asleep, with the sound of Cyrene's half-choked screams in the background.

_I'm not upset at all, yo_, He thought absently as he drifted off. _I'm just a little bit confused… why did she assume love? Unless…_ And finally, sleep claimed him.


	17. In which there's a strange disappearance

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **This is a short one. Sorreh.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following morning Reno had provided her with a muffin, just as promised. After lazily finishing her muffin, still wrapped up in the comforter, she donned her slippers which she had left on the back of the couch and took in the room. Tseng, Vincent and Cyrene were already gone, but Elena, Rude and Yetta were still sleeping soundly. She noticed that Reno, too, had disappeared… but he had just been in the room with her seconds ago…

"Reno?" She muttered aloud tentatively.

His bright red hair popped up from the pillows, and he turned towards her. "Last night my shoes fell down into the pillows someplace, yo." He said, diving back under. She shook her head. He was a bit strange. She had come to accept that about him. She had come to accept a great many things about him.

She sighed. Yes, she had. Even to the point that Vincent noticed, and he always seemed to be in his own world… fighting his personal demons.

She gently slid off the couch and into the pillows, experiencing a fresh flood of hatred for Rufus. The S.S. Cushy indeed.

She thought she may have stepped on Reno… she could've sworn she heard a muffled "Ouch!", but the pillows blocked out much of the sound. She climbed out of the cabin and onto the deck, sure to grab her staff leaning by the door on the way out.

She stood properly, her clothes wrinkled (she, nor anyone else, had changed the night before) and stood on the deck staring off at the sea. It was gorgeous. She had seen it a great many times before, of course, but it was always beautiful to her.

She sighed and leaned against the railing, scrutinizing the endless horizon, lost in thought. Her companions had assured her that what they were doing wasn't at all senseless, or even unwarranted. But she still wondered if it was their place to be doing something… she was no hero, the Turks certainly weren't, and Vincent… perhaps Vincent had dealt with far too much in his life to have this shoved off on him.

"Pondering our fate?" A silvery voice said from behind her. Alcestis turned, realizing who it must be.

"I suppose you could say that," Alcestis said, examining Cyrene. Cyrene was in her usual garb, except that now she was clutching some kind of silvery-almost white baton with what appeared to be a materia attached at the top in her one gloved hand. If asked to describe it, Alcestis would've said it was a scepter of some kind. "But you probably think it's natural and even right that someone as utterly irrational as a black mage should question their actions and motivations, yes?"

Cyrene leaned on the rail next to her and shrugged. "I was a bit harsh in my judgments, I suppose. The majority of black mages I have met are people driven by sin – greed, lust, whatever. It's as though they're naturally inclined towards evil."

"How stereotypical," Alcestis replied, returning her gaze to the sea. "You must've been around, though. The Planet is not exactly crawling with mages. To say you've met more than a couple is something of an achievement."

"Yes, well, I've had plenty of time. Physically, I'm permanently twenty-five, but the number of years I've been alive…well, let's just say it's considerably more than 25."

Alcestis cocked an eyebrow at her.

"This ought to explain it," Cyrene muttered. She yanked off her glove, revealing an elaborate tattoo on the back which read "37".

Alcestis took a step back. "You… you're-"

"One of the Jenova Project's many subjects, yes. I don't think I ever had any Jenova cells stuck in me, but… Apparently Hojo saw fit to interfere with my state of being." Cyrene yanked the glove back on, making a fist and then relaxing it, still casually leaning over the rail. "I was to be the perfect special agent, but after what I like to call the 'change'… All I wanted to do was help others who'd been disadvantaged."

"So you became a white mage."

"Yes. I wanted to help heal the wounds of others."

"I became a black mage so that I could eliminate those beings which deliberately caused problems."

"The best defense is a good offense?"

"Something like that." Alcestis said, nodding briefly.

"So we're not so different, you and I." Cyrene said, gazing placidly at the sea. "I just have thirty-some years on you, that's all."

Alcestis sighed. "I guess." She turned around, facing the entirety of the ship. The cabin blocked much of her view, but she could see down one side, which lead to the ship's small restaurant and saw no one.

"Where have Tseng and Vincent wandered off to?"

"Tseng said he had business to attend to. I assume that means report back to Rufus on whether or not we've wrung each other's necks yet." Cyrene, turning. "And Vincent, well… He ate something and then promptly disappeared. He intrigues me, he does."

"Oh?" Alcestis said. She resisted the urge to add "do tell".

"Yes. I read up on every one of you before we began this. Went through every letter of your files. By the way, yours said that you were considered a target for elimination, but the poor cooperation of the employees necessary for the task and your aggressive negotiations with the President made the consideration obsolete."

Alcestis laughed. "Oh, that isn't the half of it. And Vincent's?"

"Well, there are two files." Cyrene said. "And it's as though it's based around two completely different people. The first is significantly older… his success as a Turk, climbing the ranks magnificently… and then the file just ends, with the last note being his assignment to the Jenova Project. Before my time with it, apparently, otherwise I'm sure I would have bumped into him. The second describes him as a completely different person. A vigilante traveling with AVALANCHE. Fighting ShinRa doggedly. It's as though there was a whole space in time where he wasn't _alive_."

"I don't think Vincent considers himself alive _now_." Alcestis said.

"Yes, well, I'm determined to find out more about him, even if he is elusive. If you'll excuse me…" And Cyrene wandered off, away, leaving Alcestis to gaze at the sea.

-~-*Å*-~-

Once Reno had finally found his shoes (they'd been at the very, very bottom, of course) he climbed out of the cabin to find that Alcestis was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she'd just gone to explore the ship more thoroughly…

Reno rounded in a corner only to have Tseng almost careen into him.

"Reno! Are Elena, Rude and Yetta still in the cabin?" Tseng asked frantically.

"Um, yeah…why, yo?"

"Alcestis… Cyrene… Vincent… they're gone. They must be somewhere on board, but they're nowhere to be found. They're just gone! There's someone _else_ aboard the ship!" Tseng screamed. He marched over to the cabin and banged on the door.

"Will you lazy idiots haul your asses out of bed? We have a _crisis_ here!" Tseng let out a string of cuss words. "This is bad news, bad… we're being followed, probably listened to, and three members of the party are just friggin' GONE!"


	18. In which a psychotic villain appears

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **More. ^_^

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten minutes later, after exchanging a great many curse words, the Turks settled in with their leader, who had stopped cussing (mainly due to Elena's chiding). They sat down, created a plan, and decided to put it into execution. Ten minutes following that, Reno found himself alone in the nasty, slimy, plumbing recesses of the ship, surrounded by nasty pipes that were growing a substance that Reno did not care to identify. He had questioned the wisdom of splitting up the party, but Tseng had reminded him that doing so allowed them to search faster, and the sooner they found the other three, the sooner the problem would be solved. They all had their outrageously tiny cell phones with them, so there were no worries.

Three people who've spent their entire lives involved in combat swept away without a trace? And this merits 'no worries'? Reno had been about to argue, but Rude had shot him a look which said plain as day "Don't upset the man further".

So now, here he was. All alone. Inside a festering sludge pit. In search of two bitchy mages and one silent former assassin. Great. Just great.

Tseng had suggested to him that the bowels of the ship might hold rooms that they were unaware of… "Tap the walls, see if there's anything hollow that shouldn't be." Reno had scoffed. How the hell was he supposed to know what was or wasn't supposed to be hollow?

So he walked through the disgusting bowels of the ship, feeling the need for a clean set of clothing, tapping the walls with the tip of his electromag-rod… that is, until he heard a very familiar voice.

"Oh, shove off, you cur. You've got nothing."

"I've got two pretty mages."

Reno began to walk faster.

"Two pretty mages that will kick your ass at the next possible opportunity."

"Your hands are chained."

He broke into a run. He wasn't far from her now.

"Please. Like hands are required for magic, you idiot."

"But we cleaned you of your materia."

"That's what you think."

He faintly heard a thump! followed by an "Ugh…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Goddamn, my telekinesis isn't good enough to get the keys out of his belt. Cyrene?"

"Oh, spare me. What use does a white mage have for telekinesis?"

"Just a red mage's trick, eh? One that threw this idiot into the wall that knocked him out."

"So barbaric."

"Shut up, you pasty wench. At least we're still alive."

"Not for long, if you keep raising your voice."

Reno stopped. They were behind the wall to his right. But how to get through?

He tapped it. It was only metal.

"Who's there?! I'll toss you into the next century."

"Or you can just blast the wall open so I can free you, yo."

"Reno?"

"Your knight in shining armor, yo. How'd you get trapped down here, anyway?"

"Not now. Stand away from the wall."

Reno did as order, and boof! it expanded outward until it burst. Reno gingerly stepped through, grabbed the keys and unlocked the two mages.

"Excellent. Now, if you violent brutes are quite finished…" Cyrene began.

"Shut the hell up, Cyrene. I've read your file. You've committed more atrocities than me and Kess put together. Violent brutes, yo? How many people have died at your hands? Hm?"

Cyrene's breath caught and her mouth opened. It abruptly closed, and she turned her head away, stoically staring at the doorway.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, yo. Now let's get out of here."

"Not so fast." The doorway had produced a young man with bright blue hair and brown eyes who was staring them all down with an evil glint in his eye.

"These treasures are mine for the Master. As are you."

"And just who are you, you cocky little dumbass?" Reno snorted.

"I am a servant of the Master. That is all you need to know."

"'Master'? Is that kind of like 'Mother'?"

The man stared at him uncertainly, and then a grin sprang to his face. "We are not of that flawed mind."

"Oh, right, you're from that _other_ band of lunatics, gotcha." Alcestis said.

"Do not mock me, mage."

Alcestis waved her arm at him, and he was flung back down the hall, landing on his back, his skull hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Alcestis began down the hallway, followed by Reno and Cyrene, who took their turns stomping over him. Reno made a point to bring his foot down on the man's nose.

"Reno, contact the others. I think he's an agent from the bandits."

Reno pulled out his cell, and it beeped at him cheerfully, with a pleasantly optimistic voice adding "You are out of your service area. Please try again later."

"You've got to be shitting me, yo." Reno muttered.

"No. We've blocked out every communication port you pathetic fools have."

The trio suddenly found a very large group of blue-haired men, all looking identical to the last, before them.

They turned to run. More blue-haired twins.

"Motherf-"

"Shut up, Turk. Perhaps I can talk us out of this."

"You're crazy, Cyrene. Diplomacy? We're their escaped prisoners."

"Yes. And you're all going to a brand new, more fun cell." One of the men announced.


	19. In which our heroes are handcuffed

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **And more. ^_^

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"At least they had the sense to handcuff the two of _us_ together, yo." Reno said. They were trapped in a pretty cell that had spikes stuck all over the walls. There wasn't room enough for any of the three of them to move without getting a sharp pointy object in their flesh, so they were stuck standing uncomfortably in the tiny space. They'd handcuffed Cyrene to the cell bars and handcuffed Reno and Alcestis' hands together. In their free hands they were cuffed to some kind of device that none of them could really identify… all they knew was that if they tried to drop it or moved it too much it would jolt them with a nasty, enduring shock.

"Where the hell does a bunch of ragtag ruffians get technology like this?" Alcestis was not pleased.

"Probably stole it from ShinRa. Or bought it on the black market somewhere." Cyrene muttered as one of the guards threw a rotten tomato at her.

"So out of curiosity… Where's good ol' Valentine at, yo?" Reno asked.

Cyrene turned around as much as she could with her hands handcuffed to the bars. "You don't know where he is, either?"

"Nope. It was you two and him and that we couldn't find at all. Figured he went the same place you two did, yo."

"Excellent. Let's hope it's him who makes the attempt to save us. Holy knows Tseng and his clowns can't handle it." Cyrene said, turning back around.

The distinct sound a gun with a silencer makes when shot was heard. The three guards stationed outside their cell fell down abruptly, their eyes rolling back in their heads.

"It's a damn shame you believe that, Cyrene, because here we are." Tseng said, rounding the corner with a pretty set of skeleton keys. He unlocked their cell, and undid Cyrene's handcuffs. Apparently there were keys for the strange electrical devices, as Tseng disabled them in a matter of seconds with the keyring. But not a single key would undo Alcestis and Reno's handcuffs.

"You're joking." Alcestis said.

"It appears not," Tseng muttered, more to himself than anything else. "You two are stuck for the time being. Right now, we need to find whoever is in charge of the operation in the bowels of our tiny ass cruise liner."

"And find out how so many of them fit in this little ship." Elena said, removing a strand of cerulean hair from her jacket with distaste.

They had no sooner taken ten steps down one of the many hallways that faced them before a deep voice spoke from behind them.

"I believe you're looking for this."

They turned to find a single blue-haired man, identical to all the others, hanging by his shirt collar, which was being gripped by a familiar golden claw.

"There is only one mastermind on this ship." Vincent muttered. He pulled out his gun, and shot a particularly shiny panel in the wall. "Evidently, there is a computer room which allows him to project holograms of himself. These panels project said holograms."

"So there was no danger?" Yetta asked.

"I didn't say that." Vincent said, a single glance causing her to hide behind Rude, who rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "Apparently, these panels also cause the photons they're using for projection to become more dense in certain areas, making them solid. Somehow, they've managed to manipulate light's dual particle/wave nature."

"Were you a scientist, Valentine? A physicist, perhaps?" Cyrene asked.

"Are you stupid?" Alcestis asked her.

Vincent's facial expression was passive as he answered, "No. I loved one."

And with a flourish of his cloak, Vincent left, leaving the nervous blue haired man to pass out on the floor from a single look from Tseng.

-~-*Å*-~-

"What the hell do you mean, we're stuck like this?!" Alcestis raged at Rude, who flinched slightly under her intense, fiery gaze. Reno laughed.

"It means we're stuck like this, Alcestis. We're handcuffed together until we can find a hacksaw, yo." Reno grinned impishly. Alcestis' shoulders sunk.

"But I wanted to take a shower tonight."

"Oh, go right ahead, yo." Reno said excitedly. Alcestis hit him lightly on the shoulder and muttered an obscenity.

Tseng entered the cabin with that exasperated, sweet-mother-of-god-why-do-I-do-this-to-myself look, stumbled through the mess of pillows over to the couch opposite the door and made himself comfortable.

"It appears that the S.S. Cushy is not the only ship that has been invaded in such a way. I'm having Elena and Yetta double-check to make sure there are no other systems on board, but I'm fairly certain that they won't find anything. We're clean for now." Tseng announced, mumbling much of it.

"Why did they take these two captive in the first place?" Vincent asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. I think they were going to try and torture information out of them. Elena sent me an interesting report a little while ago describing a room full of, and I quote, 'bizarre devices'."

"Like the little shockballs we had to hold." Alcestis said.

"Something like that, yes. And other things." Tseng said, putting a hand to his head. "Rufus is not happy. ShinRa Inc. has been infiltrated, and apparently has been for some time. Though why they would set up a station on the S.S. Cushy, I have no idea."

Elena groaned as she and Yetta stumbled in through the Cabin door, allowing themselves to fall as though dead into the pool of pillows. "For the love of all things Holy, can we please call it something besides the S.S. Cushy?"

"Find anything?" Cyrene asked sardonically.

"Nothing besides the torture room. Which could probably also be the S and M room at the Honeybee Inn." Yetta muttered.

There was a collective "Ew." from everyone in the room.

Yetta had Rude help her up on the couch and she settled in next to him, her thick, neck-length brown hair appearing much messier than usual. Elena climbed up next to Tseng, who gently put his arm around her.

"Anything we should know from Rufus?" Yetta asked, yawning. She closed her eyes and leaned on Rude, who obtained a damn-I'm-uncomfortable facial expression, blinked multiple times and shifted slightly.

"Well, the good news is that we have a room waiting for us in Costa Del Sol. Rufus' bigger and better private mansion is primed and ready for our arrival."

"You said good news. Does that mean there's bad news?" Alcestis asked. Reno grinned. She was quicker than the other girls in the room. He liked that about her.

"Unfortunately…" Tseng began. Everyone in the room held their breath, with the exception of Vincent, who merely frowned. "…The Turks are expected to make an appearance at one of his many say hello to the other rich people parties once we arrive. We're each expected to have a date. Which means that you three have to convince someone else in this room to dress up with you."

"A formal event? Do we really have time for this kinda shit, yo?" Reno asked.

"You know, I asked him that, and well…" Tseng shrugged. "He said that he's funding this and if we want to save the world we have to play nice at his little get together. Which he himself may or may not be attending."

"I pick Kess!" Reno said, grinning at her.

"Go to hell, Reno. I'm not getting all up in fru-fru bows and shit to play pretty face for Rufus' little party."

"Fine. I'll go with somebody else, yo."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because…because. Whatever. I'll go with you." Alcestis grimaced.

Reno grinned again. _Yeah, she totally likes me, yo_.

-~-*Å*-~-

Still cuffed together, Reno had told Alcestis that the most comfortable way to sleep would be if she laid on her side with him behind her. "You can put your head on my cuffed arm and have your cuffed arm across your body, yo." Seeing no way around it, Alcestis grudgingly agreed to sleep on the same couch with him, no matter how awkward it might turn out to be.

Alcestis found she felt strangely more comfortable sharing a couch with Reno, having his chest pressed against her back. More safe, she decided. And his arm was rather comfortable. A bit firm, but warm and comfortable enough for her to sleep.

Reno was obviously comfortable. Within two seconds of laying down, he'd thrown his free arm over her side, wrapping it around her midsection. Now, something like twenty minutes later, his soft, warm breath tickled the back of her neck. Though she was completely comfortable, the sensation of his breath on her neck combined with the way he'd mutter something every once in a while (in that cute, masculine, mostly-sleeping voice) was keeping her awake.

What Vincent had said… was it possible, she was in love with him?

No. That was _the_ stupidest thing that she'd ever thought.

He was a Turk. He had no interest in falling in love. Just sex. No matter how much he might banter with her, or flash her affectionate looks, or make an effort to take care of her, he didn't have any interest in her.

No, no, she'd been wrong. Now _that_ was the stupidest thing she'd ever thought.

Hadn't he said that she was the only thing he ever took seriously?

Alcestis sighed.

"You're still awake." He murmured.

"Yeah." She sighed again.

"Why are you still awake? The past couple of days have been exhausting. Sleep, yo."

"You're right. I'll try harder."

"What's bothering you?"

"What makes you think something is bothering me?" She whispered back.

A pause, and then… "I know you, yo. Your body is a temple. You treat it with reverence. You think of sleeping as something akin to worship. You're not doing it, and you need it. So talk to me, yo." He whispered.

"It's… it's nothing I can discuss, I don't think."

"Oh, come on." Reno mumbled. She could hear the little smirk in his voice. He was just so damn cute when he did that. He took it like a challenge whenever she didn't want to talk.

"No, honestly, Reno," she laughed a little more. "I'm not sure it's even anything real."

"Are you worried about something, or is it just a feeling?"

"Just… Just a feeling."

"Towards someone else, yo?"

"Yeah…yes."

"Those are tough ones." Reno whispered, yawning. "The most you can do is just feel it out. And that takes time. And sleep. So go visit dreamland, yo."

Alcestis closed her eyes, and forced herself to slow her breathing. Tomorrow would present its own challenges… better to be refreshed when they came. Luckily for her, she would always have Reno to soothe her frazzled mind… or would she? Did she really want to be stuck with him forever? Or would it be kinda nice to be stuck with him forever?

"Sleep, yo." He insisted once more.

She didn't know. She just didn't know. But… maybe her dreams would…


	20. In which a stalker makes himself known

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **A very special thank you goes to my reviewers. Your comments have been helpful and kind! I'm so delighted that you're enjoying what you're seeing. Thank you so much!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning Reno awoke to find that Alcestis was still sleeping on his arm. He thought about gently sliding his arm out until he remembered that they were handcuffed together. Damn.

Or maybe not. Quality time together. Reno grinned inwardly. He spent a few minutes debating whether or not to wake her, and he decided to just lie there quietly until her dark jade eyes fluttered open. It gave him time to think. Much as he may dislike it. But she just looked too peaceful for Reno to want to wake her.

So… what had been keeping Alcestis awake… a feeling. For another person. Reno almost felt like jumping. Maybe it was him! Except… naw, he was _way_ beneath her standards. She wanted someone noble… which Reno wasn't. Or someone with high moral fiber… which Reno didn't possess. Or someone with the best of intentions… maybe Reno has those now, but that definitely hadn't always been the case. He sighed. She stirred.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you, yo?" He asked quietly.

"No." She mumbled sleepily, rolling over onto her back as much as she could with her wrist still chained to Reno's. "I was having a weird dream. A man, in some kind of midnight blue armor…" Reno sat up a little, leaned over her, nodded. "He was chasing us or something. The whole group of us. I can't really remember why, I just knew that if he got to us… something really bad was going to happen." She blinked a few more times and looked up at Reno's face. "Have we arrived yet?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. Nobody else is left in the cabin, though, except for Elena and Yetta. They're out cold, yo. Busy time searching the ship, yesterday, I guess. But we need to get up, yo."

"Okay," Alcestis said agreeably. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand. Cute.

Alcestis rolled off of the couch, a bit quicker than she had intended. Her momentum took Reno with her, and they landed in the pillows, Reno on top of her.

"So…" Reno began, cocking an eyebrow suggestively. She pushed him off.

"Pig." she muttered, but Reno caught the small smile and felt a pleasurable tingling in his fingertips.

They made their way down to the kitchen area, Reno peppering her with questions all the while.

"So how did they take you, yo?"

"They knocked me out."

"Just like that?"

"I let my guard down. I thought I was somewhere safe."

"Where'd they knock you out at?"

"This little hallway right here."

"Really? I wonder why nobody noticed, yo."

"I imagine they were rather quiet about it."

Reno just grinned at her.

"What's your problem?" She asked.

"Just glad you're okay, yo."

She shook her head at him and entered the kitchen, followed by her handcuffed partner. The rest of the party was sitting around a large table, eating.

"Well if it isn't the lovebirds." Tseng commented. "Adorable, all cuddled up together on a couch."

"You're just upset that Elena refuses to share a couch with you, and you're even 'together.'"

Tseng blushed a little at Alcestis' remark. "I just happen to think that it's inappropriate." He grumbled. Cyrene stifled a chuckle at his expense. He cleared his throat, turning on the business-like side. "We'll be arriving at Costa Del Sol in about an hour. There, I expect we can have the two of you detached, and we can make preparations to play in Rufus' little dollhouse. He says that formalwear will be provided. Alcestis, your dress will be more or less the same as Elena's or Yetta's. If asked, you will you reply that yes, you are a Turk."

"Thrilling." Alcestis muttered. Tseng continued.

"Cyrene and Vincent… I expect that neither of you would take well to making an appearance, so it has been decided that you will be covert surveillance. Ensure that nothing happens that shouldn't."

"So background security." Cyrene said.

Tseng nodded. "Essentially."

"Great." Cyrene said, staring off into the distance. Vincent said nothing. Surprise.

"Rufus' little party is tonight. I expect all of you to be prepared to welcome guests around seven. You have until then to do whatever you feel like. Just be sure you're ready." Tseng said. He shifted out of leader-mode and went back to ingesting his pancakes, shoveling them in as though no one else was in the room. Alcestis reflected that being the one in charge of such a powerful sect of ShinRa must wear on the man. She also reflected that she had next to no pity for him.

Their arrival at Costa Del Sol went largely unnoticed, though Alcestis and Reno being handcuffed together did cause a great many tourist eyebrows to rise questioningly. At these moments, Reno would grab her hand and skip, which gave the world the impression that they were newlyweds who'd been trying out a new bed game. Alcestis fought the urge to toss him into a wall, realizing that if she did she, too, would be thrown.

There was a servant working at ShinRa's new mansion who was apparently rather adept with lock-picking. The cuffs were removed in a matter of minutes, Reno cracking innuendos every couple of seconds, which made Alcestis' face turn red both with anger and embarrassment and made the lockpick bite his lip in an effort to stop from chuckling at an angry mage. Once the cuffs went_ click!_ the lockpick looked at Reno and nodded at him. In a thick accent, he said "You've got a lot of guts teasing a black mage like that."

"Naw, s'allright." Reno had said in response. "She'll learn to love me, yo."

Alcestis had snorted openly. Reno had given her a hurt look, which she had laughed off. The lockpick shook his head.

Not long thereafter, the group of them were roaming the beach in less restrictive outfits. Reno had had no problem slipping into swimming trunks and running off the dock with a whoop to cannonball into the water. Rude looked rather ridiculous dressed as a tourist in a flowery shirt and shorts and sandals. The only thing that looked Rude-ish about him was the sunglasses. Tseng was also in a swimsuit, lying on a beach chair lazily, sleeping. The rest were fairly certain he was going to burn to a crisp, but why stop it? Vincent was in his usual attire, of course, squatting as though perched on the hill just behind the beach, keeping an eye on the town as a whole, his crimson eyes discouraging passersby from speaking to him.

Elena was lying on a towel next to Tseng, "tanning" (or watching him sleep) and Yetta was also gliding through the water like a fish. Evidently, this was Yetta's place of birth. Cyrene was nowhere to be seen, and no one cared to look for her (she had been in something of a shirty mood since the fiasco on the ship) and Alcestis had grudgingly stepped into a sundress that fell to her knees. She sat on a lawnchair, an umbrella stuck in the sand next to her to shade her, and had her legs crossed at the knee. She looked rather prudish and sulkish and didn't care to shake that view. This was a waste of her time. They were supposed to be out finding the summon of doom, not partying with socialites or working their tans on a tourist's beach. So she sat grinding her teeth, staring off at the water, trying to find some sign of inner calm. She vaguely wondered what would happen if she simply left. The lot of them probably wouldn't even notice. She didn't need Rufus' funding, that was for certain… all she really needed was Cyrene. But where had that bitch gone off to?

Abruptly Alcestis stood, grabbed her martial arts slippers from off the sand, and stalked off whilst shaking them out, heading for the ShinRa mansion with a vengeance. She wondered for a moment if Reno would notice her missing, decided it a moot point, and continued onward. She had to get out of here. She had to get that summon. She had to stop the man in the blue armor…

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno emerged from the water dripping wet, his locks of red hanging down into his face more than usual. Yetta commented that she found it cute, and both Reno and Rude had bristled at this. Reno ran a beach towel over his face and looked at Rude, blatantly ignoring Yetta, who in turn returned to the dock and dove back into the water.

"Cute, eh? Wonder if Kess thinks so. Where is she, yo?"

Rude stopped, looked around, and frowned, forming great creases in his forehead.

"Where is she at?" Reno twirled around in a circle, looking for any sight of his old roommate. She'd disappeared from view entirely. Reno's eyes widened.

"You don't think someone could've gotten her or anything, do you?" He asked. He found his heart thumping unusually hard. "I'm going to go look for her, yo. You keep an eye out for her here, all right?"

Reno dashed off, sand flying up behind him, and Rude shook his head. "Ask Vincent, you moron." He shouted. Reno came to a screeching halt, spraying two young female sunbathers with sand. They gave him dirty looks, which changed to suggestive ones when they actually looked at him, but he was already running athletically around the corner to climb the hill where Vincent had perched so gracefully.

Arriving there, Reno was nearly out of breath.

"Vince…where…where is…" he panted.

Vincent blinked at him. "I said it was all over you both. And neither of you really believed me." he muttered, more to himself than anything else. Certain that Reno hadn't really heard him, he pointed with his golden-clawed hand. "She headed towards the mansion, I believe. Do try to keep track of her this time."

Reno nodded. "Thanks, yo." And Reno turned on his heel and began dashing towards the mansion, still conspicuously half naked.

Vincent shook his head. The young… so naïve… so completely unaware and unappreciative of the things that are important to them… Vincent sighed. He was glad he was no longer a Turk… and no longer young.

-~-*Å*-~-

It upset Alcestis greatly that she could not find Cyrene anywhere in the mansion. It upset her even more that she was stuck in a sundress – her clothing and travel bag had been whisked away by one of the servants, leaving her with her martial arts slippers and a white, knee-length dress with cheerful blue flowers all over it. She was not pleased.

It had taken her about ten minutes to realize that she could hear someone speaking from inside the broom closet beneath the stairs, and once she entered it, it only took a few moments more to realize that there was some kind of trap door in the bottom of the closet.

She had descended the rickety, wooden spiral stairs with some dismay. She knew the mansion to be relatively new, and so the presence of the stairs bothered her somewhat… especially the condition they were in, the horrible moaning creaking sounds that they made when she took a step. Of course, it would be like Rufus to shroud something important in the idea that it was old, hidden…and creepy. And potentially dangerous. Alcestis decided that it would be stupid to be afraid, and continued, each step leading her closer to the voice that appeared to be murmuring to itself. She was still wearing her silver armlet, though…at the very least, she had a few materia with her.

Upon reaching the bottom, Alcestis found herself inside what appeared to be a small cellar with naught but a computer and a doorway. Bracing herself, she stepped through the doorway, her hands raised in a combat stance, only to find Cyrene placidly sitting at a chair, her hands flying over the controls, information scrolling across one of the many view screens like mad.

"Cyrene, what the hell is this?" Alcestis asked, setting her hands to her hips.

"Evidently, it is a backup archive of any and all information that can be found at ShinRa Inc. I imagine that Rufus didn't expect any of us to find it. I've seen hints in here that Rufus has been keeping a journal, I'm trying to see if I can access it."

Cyrene hands flew over the panel, the gloved one a bit slower, due to the fact that she was operating a touchpad, and the lack of tactile sensation was slowing her down. In a few seconds, there was a beep.

"ShinRa Diary, 5. Password?"

"Damn." Cyrene muttered. She tried something, it beeped, and came back with "Negative. Password?"

"Knowing Rufus, it'll be something sneaky, but linked to what he's doing." Alcestis muttered. Alcestis frowned. Rufus was a sneaky little bastard… "Try 'Dark Nation'."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it." Alcestis said. She had almost added "yo" to the end of her sentence, which made her shake her head a bit, as though trying to clear it.

Cyrene did as she was told, and…ding. They were in.

"How did you…?" Cyrene asked, spinning around.

"Lucky guess." Alcestis said. Dark Nation was the same species as the scouts, plus it was his favorite little pet. It linked perfectly to his personal life and his troubles.

"Most Recent: Entry 29573. Mirro, Valentine and the Turks will be heading out to find the…what was it…Potestas Summon. With any luck, ShinRa can get their hands on it before the Order does, thus saving me the trouble of fully reinstating SOLDIER. I'm rather paranoid about reinstating them…they have a nasty habit of coming back with a vengeance against me.

"I do hope that the bunch of them manage to get along. It is so very not cost effective to train new Turks. And I do hope Tseng doesn't have to use the weapon I gave him; it would be so unpleasant to hear that any of them have kicked the bucket. Except for Mirro. If she were gone, then perhaps Reno would stop being quite so rebellious at work. Unfortunately, I'm sure she'll behave. She wouldn't be stupid enough to do something like run off on her own, even with Cyrene with her."

Reading this, Alcestis paused to shift uncomfortably, and continued reading.

"Personal note to self: I must continue reading historic file 123.4436.778. I have no idea whether or not it is accurate, but everything matches up… perhaps it's all true. I shall have to investigate further. Rufus ShinRa, signing out."

"Out of sheer curiosity, what is file 123 point whatever it was?" Alcestis asked.

Cyrene's fingers flew over the console once more, to bring up a purely text file. She skimmed through it a bit.

"It appears to be some kind of creative documentation of Sephiroth's time as a teenager training for SOLDIER. Written like a story, rather than a report." Cyrene scrolled through it some more. "But as Rufus said, all the major points check out as accurate. When he entered training, his time of graduation into the ranks, various other landmark events in his life are all listed at the correct time. This appears to be a document of his personal life during this time. Who his friends were, the people he respected…it's actually rather fascinating."

Cyrene turned around in the swivel chair to face Alcestis. "How did you find me down here, anyway?"

Alcestis shrugged. "I heard you speaking through the closet door."

Cyrene frowned. "I haven't uttered a single word since I got down here."

Alcestis' eyes narrowed. "But you must have. I heard a voice speaking. That's how I knew to enter the closet and look for the door."

"Alcestis, I'm telling you that I have not spoken the entire time I've been down here."

"Then that must mean-"

"You're not alone? Oh, how right you are."

Leaning casually against the doorway was a hooded man with a large build. The navy blue hood covered his face rather well and was attached to a long robe, underneath which was some kind of tan tunic and dark pants, and boots. There was some kind of cutlass attached to the belt at his waist, and he kept his chin tucked under, to better hide his face.

Alcestis immediately sunk into a combat position, her armlet glowing conspicuously. Cyrene leaped up, grabbing her scepter, pointing it at him maliciously.

"What're you going to do? Cure me?" The man said, laughing a little.

Alcestis waved her arm as though backhanding him. He flew backwards, and his cutlass hit the ground shortly before his tailbone did, creating an irritatingly loud _clang_.

He stood up, annoyed, and Alcestis could just see his lips, curled in a snarl. "I'm not going to harm you, fools. I'm Rufus' little secret agent. You're not supposed to know about me, but I'd rather play nice with the people I'm intended to be spying on." He said through gritted teeth.

"So that's why Rufus wanted us to stop here. So you could follow us. Does Tseng know?" Alcestis asked, still standing combat-ready.

"No, he doesn't, to my knowledge." The man turned his face up, and threw his hood back to reveal sandy blonde hair and startlingly-bright yellow eyes. His chiseled cheekbones would've make him look handsome, if not for the gauntness of his cheeks; he had the appearance of once having had excellent looks, ones that had wasted away with time.

"Ode!" Cyrene said, lowering her scepter. "I had no idea… you were even still alive."

"Yes, very much alive. Forevermore, in fact."

She frowned at him. Alcestis' eyebrows raised.

"The very procedure they did on you…they performed on me. Except that I don't have the nasty side effects."

Cyrene's facial expression went from surprise and confusion to anger. "Oh? How very lucky for you, Oedipus, that you should be my successor and not even have to suffer the torture of your memories. You certainly have done things far worse than I, you cold, heartless, blood-sucking bastard. You were always wanting to take my place in the Turks. I'm sure it thrilled you to no end when my project was a failure. Even if you do not remember, Oedipus, mark that I _do_, I remember every sickening little travesty that you committed. And now your Rufus' little toy. What a surprise. Has he agreed to marry you yet?"

Alcestis' eyebrows must have hit her hairline, high as they went. Cyrene… usually lofty, arrogant, somehow motherly in a distant way, was gone. Alcestis saw what she realized must have been Cyrene when she was young, before she turned white mage – venomous, vicious, vindictive.

Oedipus glared at her with an equal amount of venom. "Cyrene, you simply never could handle that the rest of us had a future where you did not. I thought it rather pathetic of you to become a healer after your long career of fulfilling the ShinRa family's least desirable requests. I cannot help but wonder why they even kept you around. Are you a favorite servant?"

"Have you leapt into bed with Rufus yet? You were crushing on him even when he was a little boy, you sick little freak."

"I was his caretaker."

"Don't you feed me that crap. You wanted in that family so bad you wanted to turn Rufus into a woman. Tell me, what is so fabulous about their family that you've allowed yourself to be turned into a menial servant for their sorry asses?"

"They have power, power that will be mine someday."

"You're assuming Rufus will have no children."

"And why would he?"

"Because he looks like a friggin' model. Because he's young and STRAIGHT. We always questioned your orientation, you know. Was it drugs? Did they push you away from an otherwise straight line?"

"Filth. You accuse me of filth. I was Rufus' care-taker—"

"Babysitter." Cyrene interjected, looking down her nose at him as best she could.

"_Care-taker._" He finished. "What of you, Cyrene? Did you never desire climb the ranks for the power?"

"No! As a matter of fact, I did not, you son of a bitch! Why don't you crawl back into the crevice of the damned from whence you came?!"

Alcestis, trapped between the arguing pair, brought her fist up and threw it down, sending both of them flying.

"For all the love of Holy and hate of Meteor, will you two knock it off, already?! If Rufus wants him to tag along, he's going to freakin' tag along, we don't have a choice. We need to stop the madman from destroying the Planet, remember? I, nor anyone else living, _cares_ about your ridiculous little squabbles of the past. Cyrene, you became a healer. Oedipoos or whatever your name is, you became a tool. The end. Now let's get our shit together and begin to scope out Rufus' files about the guest list. I want to know what kind of assholes we're playing with tonight."

They heard something that sounded vaguely like running – or tumbling – down the stairs, and two seconds later, Reno, in only his tropical swimming shorts, stumbled into the room.

"Alcestis! Are you all right, are you safe? Nobody hurt you, right, yo?"

Alcestis shook her head. "No, Reno, I'm fine. I had to throw moron here on his ass, but I'm all right. Apparently Cyrene and dumbass here are old friends."

"If you can call being extremely contemptuous of one another 'old friends', then yes." Cyrene said through gritted teeth. Her natural sense of adulthood and propriety was returning to her, thought the scathing expression in her eyes directed towards Oedipus did not.

"You treat Alcestis with respect or I'll break your nose, yo." Reno said to him, eyes narrowed. Reno was relatively tall for a male, a bit taller than six foot, but Oedipus towed over him, closer to 6' 6".

"I'd love to see you try." Oedipus scoffed lightly.

The heel of the palm was an excellent tool for breaking noses, as Oedipus learned when Reno's collided with Oedipus' nose. Reno followed up by thrusting his elbow into the taller man's throat and bodily throwing him to the ground.

"I don't care what you do for a living, asshole, but I'm a Turk, yo. It's my _job_ to beat up dicks like you."

Oedipus stood up, spitting a bit of blood. "Point taken, Mr…?"

"Just call me Reno." Reno said, glaring at him. He turned to the ladies of his party. "What's the deal with this moron, yo?"

"Evidently, Rufus sent him to spy on our little party, starting here. Unless you were on the ship?" Cyrene said, turning to him.

"No. No amount of money or any variety of coercion could persuade me to ever voyage on the S.S. Cushy." Oedipus said haughtily.

"And he didn't hurt you, Kess, right?"

"Right, Reno. I'm just fine."

"Good." Reno focused his attention back on Oedipus. "If Rufus sent you to follow us…well I'm afraid you'll just have to travel _with_ us, yo. I can't speak for Tseng, but I can speak for myself and say that you better be one damn big asset to our party or I will string Rufus up and murder your sorry ass myself, yo." Reno took Alcestis by the hand and left the room, leaving the old co-workers to glare at each other.

As Alcestis was dragged along, she remained quiet; but the moment they were up the stairs and out of earshot, Alcestis spoke – and not very politely.

"Reno, what the _hell_ was that?"

"What was what, yo?"

"You leaping in there in your swim trunks and breaking that guy's nose? Can't you trust me to take care of myself?"

Reno looked down at the ground, determinedly not looking at her.

"I thought maybe somebody dragged you away again. Or maybe you took off on your own, yo."

Alcestis bit her lip, knowing Reno wouldn't see. Yeah, she'd thought about it. But would she actually have done it? Without him?

"Why do you care if somebody drags me away, Reno? Honestly, why would you care?"

"Because you're like my best friend, goddammit. Because I care about you, yo. I went into a panic when I couldn't find you, because…because I…" his voice drifted off.

"Because you what, Reno?"

"Forget about it. Just friggin' forget about it, okay? I'm going to go get dressed, yo." And Reno, scrunching up his nose, turned on his heel and marched up the opposite set of stairs, leaving Alcestis behind to scrutinize his back and wonder.


	21. In which there's a ballroom blitz

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **If I haven't mentioned it already, I'll be at Youmacon 2009 as Vincent Valentine, so if you're going to be there, let me know! Also, that means I can't post as much as I'd like right now v.v Sorry!  
Thank you all again! xD

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Reno threw himself on a bed, cursing. How did he get to be such a moron?

"I'm such a friggin' idiot. She doesn't need me around, yo. Hell, she doesn't even _want_ me around. She probably was just going off on her own. She doesn't want to piss around here when there's something that's got to be done ASAP. Probably going to grab Cyrene and run for it, yo. How stupid of me to think that she'd want me for this. Probably in love with blondie down there, yo."

What made him think that he would be special to her, anyway?

"Talking to yourself is a sign of madness."

Reno sat up, looked around, could find no one.

"What the…?"

As if out of nowhere, Vincent appeared.

"Will you stop doing that?!"

"What?" Vincent replied.

"Nothing" he sighed. "What do you want, yo?" Reno asked, flopping back down on the bed, scowling.

"Failed to impress her with your gallant rescue?" Vincent asked. Reno thought he heard a touch of sarcasm in the man's voice.

"I don't need to impress her, thank you very little. I don't like her that way, yo."

Vincent inclined his head, his gaze unyielding. "Suit yourself. But do watch out for her this evening. I expect that we will have some nasty company before the night is over."

Vincent disappeared through the door frame, leaving Reno to frown after him. What the hell was that supposed to mean? CEOs with bad manners or Ninjas? Reno put a pillow over his head. He didn't want to think anymore.

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis had smirked a little when watching Tseng pull at his collar and give assignments. The man had looked terribly uncomfortable, particularly in the presence of Oedipus, who Alcestis had later gathered was the ultimate assassin of ShinRa company. Cyrene had sat across the table from him, scowling a death sentence at him. Yetta had fallen asleep on the meeting table, drooling, having tired herself out with constant swimming. She had jerked awake and swore when Tseng banged his fist on the table, jittery as he was. Elena made no effort to calm him. Evidently, somewhere along the line, she had learned that it was impossible to calm the man when he was under pressure. Vincent had nodded sagely when Tseng had told him he was to sit in the security room with Oedipus and Cyrene, watching every second and every angle of the party. Obviously, Vincent knew that he was to play mediator for the other two, as he flashed them both warning glances. Reno had sat with his elbows propped on the table and his head propped on his hands. Alcestis had felt a small pang seeing him look so downtrodden.

Now that the party had begun and was getting into full swing, she found herself attached to his arm, and she knew it was going to be an awkward evening. Her, Yetta, and Elena were in matching ballgowns, in blue, green and red, respectively. The male Turks were in tuxes – Reno had been particularly thrilled when he found that his had tails. They were welcoming guests left and right, Mr. So-and-so from this-or-that company, The Duchess Whatever from Random Obscure City, and so on. The party-goers were obviously people that Rufus was sucking money out of, but threw little parties for so that they might not – or choose not to – notice.

Alcestis pressed the earphone in her left ear in a little bit closer. Each of the Turks and herself had one, so that they could hear anything those in the security room might have to say. It was rather entertaining.

"That one looks suspicious."

"So does your mother."

"Honestly, Oedipus, you've never met my mother."

"Fine then, Cyrene, so does your _face_."

"Both of you, just shut the hell up."

Her and Reno exchanged an amused glance, only to look away again, awkwardly. The audio onslaught continued.

"You shut up, sittin' there, all dressed in red. What is your deal anyway?"

"Oedipus, that's your name? Oedipus, I've never met anyone I wanted to shoot for peace of mind before."

"Sure you have. Hojo." Cyrene's voice sounded amused.

"…"

"Well?"

"Point conceded."

Alcestis sighed, and examined Reno's profile as he determinedly looked straight ahead, greeting guests. He was genial. Handsome. Polite. She had no idea he had it in him. He was surprisingly tame. Perhaps he had done this before? She sighed again, with a shallower breath. She didn't like whatever block there was between them. She was relatively sure that it was her fault. He had just been worried about her, that was all. She didn't have to get all feminazi on him. But why had he been so worried, so panicky about her condition?

"Reno, are you-"

"Maybe, yo."

"Would like me to-"

"I guess."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, yo."

"Reno, how do you-"

"I don't know."

"Is it possible that you-"

"Yes."

"Is it possible that we-"

"That depends on you, yo."

Alcestis was disconcerted that she hadn't finished a single question. But evidently they were on the same wavelength, because she got all of the answers she had been expecting. But really, what the hell did that mean? A question to be pondered…and resolved quickly, if she was going to get any sleep that night.

The argument blaring in their ear pieces continued.

"I'm serious, that guy over there _looks suspicious."_

"Oh, no he doesn't."

"Yes he does! He just pocketed one of Rufus' tropical fish."

"And how does one pocket a tropical fish, exactly?"

"He scooped it into a little baggie and popped into his coat."

"Cyrene…you're nuts."

"Oedipus, you are a jerk."

"Didn't I just tell both of you to shut the hell up?!"

"I'll check it out." Alcestis mumbled, pressing her earpiece in a bit. She meandered over to the described man politely, dragging Reno with her.

"Hello, sir. What is your name?"

"I am the Duke of Eleanor."

"Ah yes, and where is Eleanor?"

"The southern polar continent."

Reno and Alcestis exchanged a glance. There was no southern polar continent.

"Sir, I do believe you have one of our fish in your jacket pocket." She said politely.

"Oh, you mean this?" The man said, pulling out a baggie with a pretty red and pink fish inside. In her earpiece, Alcestis heard Cyrene screech "I TOLD YOU SO!" and Oedipus cussing.

The man leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm conducting an experiment on fish around the world."

"Is that so?" Alcestis asked, arching an eyebrow regally.

"Yes. Beginning with your nose." With no warning the man pulled out a gun and brought it down hard on the bridge of her nose. Reno was already reacting, pulling out his rod and shocking the man in the chest. Alcestis hit the floor, half conscious and bleeding.

"One, that doesn't make any sense, two, I'm going to apprehend you, yo." Reno said. The man brought his gun up as though to shoot, but Reno kicked it out of his hand and brought his rod down hard on the man's skull. Tseng caught the gun deftly and cocked it into position, pointing it over the crowd.

"Anybody else?" Tseng asked, his eyes turning into mere slits.

"Yes!" A young lady cried, leaping down from the balcony to land on Tseng's head.

"Stupid question, Tseng." Rude muttered, as he hauled the woman off of him, bodily restraining her to the best of his ability. She was tiny but determined, her legs were flailing everywhere.

Alcestis half stood, ruing the purple spots on her lovely blue ball gown as she wiped the blood from her nose. She snorted a bit, and spat out some more blood, looking up in time to notice a man about to bring a chair down on Reno's head. She flung her arm, which made Reno flinch but sent the offending man flying into the wall behind him, breaking the glass on one of many expensive portraits in the mansion. By now the small panic that had infected the guests was developing into full-blown hysteria. Yet another man had decided to attack the Turks, but was promptly gunned down by Vincent standing on the stairs, who glared malevolently at the man's bleeding back whilst he fell.

Another woman, this one blonde and dressed in some kind of exotic gown made to look like animal print, leaped forward and sunk her teeth into Yetta's neck, who screamed, put her hands behind her, grabbed the woman by the shoulders and threw her at Elena, who stopped the woman's momentum with the small heel of her shoe. The woman's sternum cracked loudly and she fell to the floor, limp. Oedipus, now dressed in pale blue armor from neck to toe, began to usher the guests outside, insisting that they remain calm in the face of any adversity. This failed to work, however, as the sight of his neon yellow eyes made most of them scream in fear. Cyrene, too, descended the stairs from the security room, waving her scepter. Alcestis felt the flow of blood from her nose cease with much relief. The woman that Rude had been restraining attempted a back flip, which was enough to loosen his grip. She streaked away from him, raising her fists to rain blows upon Elena's head. She was abruptly stopped by a shot to the gut, courtesy of Tseng, who was still on the floor.

Another man jumped down from the balcony, warbling some kind of war cry as he brought his feet down on Reno's shoulders. Alcestis flicked her wrist and the man was engulfed in flames, falling to the ground and writhing.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Tseng muttered.

"My guess is that someone has figured out what we're supposed to be doing, and they've decided to attempt to stop us." Oedipus muttered in reply, shuffling the last of the guests out of the door.

As they turned to face the inside of the mansion, something strange caught Alcestis' eye: a slow movement in the shadow under the balcony. She threw out her hand, a small bolt of lightning springing from her hand, knocking down the figure. The man slumped, dressed all in black with some kind of katana on his back.

Reno shook his head, remembering his earlier thought. Definitely ninjas, yo. Definitely.

Another man, dressed in a similar fashion came down from the ceiling, was promptly run through by Oedipus, who had produced a lance seemingly from nowhere to puncture the man's chest. Three more came down from the balcony, and began close range hand-to-hand combat with Yetta, Elena and Cyrene. What looked like a dozen more came thundering down the stairs.

Reno leaped onto one of the many plush couches in the room, springing. His brought his rod down hard on one of their skulls, leaving the ninja to slump idly to the floor. The next was not taken so unaware, and brought his katana up to hit him with the broad side, forcing him down onto the floor. Still more of them advanced on Elena and Yetta, who were fighting brilliantly hand-to-hand for wearing ballgowns. Cyrene took to leaping away from her combatants, sacrificing harm to them in favor of healing her companions. Vincent stood in the corner of the room, managing to shoot every enemy who came near him in the chest before they got a hit on him.

Oedipus, Alcestis decided, though a jerk, was every bit as grand a fighter as Tseng had told her he was. The armoring on his elbows protruded into sharp points, insignificant when his arms were straight, but with his elbows out he shoved the points into the throats of his combatants, trading punches and stabs. Oedipus' wounds healed moments after being inflicted – without help from Cyrene.

Alcestis waved her arms like a mad woman, in favor of summoning a creature to assist them. Summons exhausted her – she would be sleeping deeply that night – but perhaps another body in the fray would spare them. She summoned the first creature that came to mind – and a Gagighandi, a turquoise aquatic equine creature with four teal limbs like a lion's and a largely peaceful disposition appeared. Not the most powerful creature – but it had the ability to use stone stare.

She took to using more hand-to-hand variety tactics. Her staff was locked away in a room upstairs, but that didn't stop her from using her other skills, more martial-arts related. She silently thanked and mourned her lost brother as she brought her foot up and thrust it into the back of a man attacking Rude. The man stumbled, turned, surprising Alcestis. That blow should have been enough to snap his spine. He sprung at her, fists flying. Alcestis stuck her elbow out, allowing his neck to land on it, choking him temporarily as she swung her leg around to break his kneecap. The man stumbled, crying out in pain. She grabbed his face, her palms flat to his cheek, and turned his head past the point where it ought to have gone, issuing a crack. He slumped to the ground, his eyes rolled back into his head.

She turned to her next opponent – a ninja who was about to bring the blade of his katana down on Reno's neck. She flung her arm, making the man fly towards the couch. She leaped, bringing her heel down on his sternum. It gave a satisfying _crack_ beneath the force of her blow and his chest caved in. Suddenly, she felt heat in the back of her skull – another of the ninjas had just sliced open her scalp, gripping the bleeding area with one hand, she cast a spell, electrocuting the man violently. He, too, slumped to the floor.

She felt the wound heal up beneath her hand, its only trace the blood staining her palm. She silently thanked Cyrene – though she did not like her very much – and surveyed the fray. In those few seconds, she took in that for every ninja she had incapacitated, there were at least three more. They kept on pouring in through every opening – every window, every door. They had to escape the mansion if they were going to make it out of this alive, or else be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

She ran her shoulder into the stomach of a man who was brutally attacking Tseng. She pinned his lower half against the wall and Tseng primly shot the man. Alcestis tossed his dead weight in the general direction of three ninjas who were doggedly attacking Yetta and Elena, who had both ripped their ballgowns to a shorter length to eliminate the hindrance.

"Tseng, we've got to get out of here. They're going to bring us down."

"I know. I've summoned a helicopter from our platform a few miles away. It ought to be here soon."

"You actually have a landing pad around here?"

"How do you think Rufus gets to his mansion?" Tseng asked, cocking an eyebrow with haughtier. Alcestis resisted the great urge to smack him and instead sunk her fist into the throat of the nearest ninja, the one about to bring a chair down on her head.

Rude and Cyrene stood back to back, Rude acting as her defense as she continued to heal. He wondered how much longer she could on like this without restoring her magic. The strain had to be driving her to madness.

Vincent shot a ninja. And another. And another. He sighed. You'd think they'd learn to wear bullet-proof clothing, or _something_. He shot another. And another. And another. And another. One after another, they slumped to the ground, instantly dead as their blood spilled out onto the floor, pooling on the linoleum and staining the fine ivory carpeting.

Oedipus wielded his large lance with great skill, bowling down a great many of them at a time. He swung this way and that, puncturing the flesh and muscle of ninja after ninja. They just kept pouring in… they were beginning to face impossible odds, and everyone there knew it.

The Gagighandi was a brutal fighter. The creature remained oddly unscathed, untouched by blade or by fist. The fins on the top of its head were apparently rather hard though flexible, and could be used as horns sunk into the neck of every opponent, mortally wounding them, with extra support from the creatures sharp, small tusks. The creature was without remorse, leaping gracefully from victim to victim.

A familiar sound was heard from above. "The chopper's arrived." Tseng said tersely. "Everybody move! Out, now!"

Reno turned, shocking the man closest to him as he made a run for the door. He grabbed Alcestis by the wrist and dragged her out with him, throwing her into the chopper. She landed on her shoulder with an "ugh!" and leaped up himself, Alcestis dragging him in by the hand. The Gagighandi leaped into the low-flying chopper after them. Tseng grabbed Elena, tossed her up and took a leg up himself. Vincent helped Rude and Yetta up before leaping in. Oedipus bodily threw Cyrene in (luckily for her, she was caught by a very surprised Rude) before using his lance to push himself up in all his armor. After very hasty instructions, the pilot chopper was thrown out of his seat by Reno, who muttered something about the pilot's incompetence (who looked no older than 19) and put on the headset, flying them swiftly but safely off towards the horizon's fading sun.

Alcestis, in her lovely azure ballgown with the bottom half torn just below her bum and shredded down to her knees, came up to the front cabin, leaving her squabbling party members in the back, (they were marveling over the Gagighandi, which was napping quietly on the floor) and sat down in the copilot's seat. She took a deep breath, and looked over at Reno, who was non-chalantly piloting, slumped back in his seat, one hand on the yoke and the other hanging off the arm of his chair.

"Are you all right?"

"Just fine, yo."

The last few ruby rays of sunlight glinted in his blue eyes, brought out the even more red highlights in his already red hair. He smirked lightly, causing the tattoo on the corresponding side of his face to shift just slightly upwards.

"Thanks for your concern, yo. I do appreciate it."

"I'm sorry I was so…well, you know."

Reno nodded, and looked over at her. "Like I said, it's fine, yo. You're way too self-sufficient to be needing me, yo, and I realize that." He sighed. "Wouldn't want me covering for you at all."

She sighed, almost exasperated, and put a hand on his knee, which caught his attention. "That's not true, Reno. I do need you. You saved me back on the ShinRa Ship. You're right. All it took last time was just to be knocked out and dragged away. It was right and even good of you to assume the worst. I appreciate your concern. Though I must say, I did not expect you to act so…rash."

"I was worried about you, yo." Reno muttered, his eyes staring forward but not seeing. "You've become a good friend of mine, and you've saved my life, and I like you enough to keep you around, yo."

She smiled. "Thanks Reno."

"Plus you're kinda hot, yo. Any chance we could-"

Alcestis laughed, now used to his antics. "Pig." She said.

"Damn." He said. "I can dream, right, yo?"

"Keep dreaming, Reno. Every once in a while, dreams come true."

"Do you mean to say that-"

"You're a pretty handsome sort of guy." Alcestis said, smiling enigmatically. She squeezed his shoulder and left the cockpit, leaving him to sigh contentedly as he searched for the lights of the newly built (by ShinRa, naturally) city of South Corel.


	22. In which a monster starts talking

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Youmacon 2009 was a blast! And now that I'm back, another chapter.

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Alcestis was abruptly awoken from her nap by two voices. One she was certain was Elena, but the other was female, one she couldn't identify. She slowly opened her eyes, surveying the inside of the chopper's cramped cabin.

"You…you can talk!" Elena said, climbing behind Tseng who bristled at her lightly.

"Well of course I can talk, why shouldn't I be able to talk? I'm every bit as intelligent as you." It took Alcestis a minute to realize that it was the Gagighandi that was talking.

"I don't think I've ever summoned you before." Alcestis said, rubbing her eyes as she came fully into a waking state.

"You haven't. I was wondering if somebody would." The Gagighandi stuck out a turquoise paw. "I think I'm supposed to be your familiar. Good to meet you."

Alcestis shook the clawed paw, frowning. "My…what?"

"Your familiar. A way of concentrating your magic, so that the side effects aren't focused entirely in you. We each get half of the cost. Did no one teach you anything?"

Alcestis shook her head. "Not really, I guess."

"I have the power of telepathy and I can cast stone stare in a variety of strengths. Accordingly, you should have telekinesis and the ability to cast a variety of spells through the use of materia."

Alcestis nodded. "I don't think I intended to summon you. I'm pretty sure I was thinking of a Cuahl when I summoned."

"Your familiar is supposed to come to you in a time of need. Are we on some kind of epic quest?"

"Something like that." Alcestis said. "Do you…have a…" Alcestis cleared her throat.

"A name? Yes. I call myself Nereid. And you?"

"Alcestis."

"Brilliant. Now, do you need materia to use your telekinesis?"

Alcestis stared at the creature. Not looking at the others, most of whom had awoken and were extremely freaked out, Alcestis shook her head.

"Good. You're one of a kind then. Unless your parents…?"

"I didn't really have the opportunity to know my parents." Alcestis said.

"An Orphan. Excellent. They always told me I'd have the emotionally scarred child." Nereid trotted over to the cockpit, nudging the door open slightly. "When are we arriving at our intended destination, sir? Is that napping baby of a pilot going to retrieve all of our belongings? My mage is still in a shredded ballgown."

Reno looked down at Alcestis' summon, and looked back at her through the tiny window of the of door. Alcestis shrugged, putting her hands up to excuse herself of responsibility.

"We'll be arriving at South Corel in about fifteen minutes, yo. It's about one in the morning. Yes, I was planning on sending the spare there back to retrieve our things. The Ninjas ought to have cleared out by now, yo."

"Why do you speak so strangely, child? Speak properly." The Gagighandi scolded.

"Speak nicely to Reno." Alcestis said, though it sounded more like a request than an order.

"Oh, I see. You are my mage's mate, then?" Nereid asked.

"No." Alcestis said quickly. "Not at all."

"Would be if you'd just cooperate, yo." Reno said, smirking idly. Alcestis shook her head at him. Nereid rolled her eyes, as much as a Gagighandi can, anyway. Reno continued. "We'll be setting down in South Corel very soon, get yourselves together and rouse the crew, yo."

-~-*Å*-~-

The sleepy set of Turks and company stumbled blithely out of the chopper, leaving the young pilot and a couple of burly men to head back to Costa Del Sol on Tseng's half-awake orders to retrieve their belongings.

The group of them made their way to some kind of cushy ShinRa hotel room. Though there were only two beds, they managed to stuff themselves onto them, a hodge podge of bodies laying this way or that. Nereid insisted on remaining right next to Alcestis, as did Reno, so the black mage found herself sandwiched between her new familiar and her favorite – and only – roommate. Rude and Yetta managed to cram themselves onto the same bed, leaving the remaining members of the party to pile onto the other bed. Vincent sat on the floor, his back against the wall, his head bowed as a light sleep claimed him.

The group, including Alcestis, found sleep immediately, but Reno did not. Having remained awake while piloting had messed with his biological clock. It had largely been a quiet trip, with Alcestis coming in to keep him company on occasion. It had been sweet of her, but it hadn't helped to relax him. He'd never much liked piloting in the dark, nor setting down in a strange setting in the hours before dawn, particularly when they knew that ninjas were coming after them now. He removed his arm from underneath Alcestis gently, took his legs from atop Rude, and strutted to the large sliding glass window to stare down at the city below. The small city was thriving, its source of electricity large generators without Mako, things mostly powered by oil. It was a ShinRa experiment, to see how well they could get along without mako energy. The fact that all life around Midgar had more or less perished had woken Rufus up to the fact that they needed a new way of living, or else they were all going to die.

The small city appeared to be thriving unlike its brother to the North. Vehicles were buzzing about everywhere, small two-people buggies led around by other people as a service were shuffling up and down the streets. All appeared to be peaceful, happy and productive. He sighed. He wondered what he might have been like if he'd not been recruited by the Turks. He would've made his way out of the slums, he was sure, but where? Probably moved, since the cost of living of Midgar was so high. Perhaps he would've moved to Kalm, a town just outside the reaches of Midgar's devastation. Gotten a job as a miner, maybe. Settled down with a woman. By now he could have two little toddlers stumbling around his feet, red-headed and curious.

But he shook his head. No, this was the life he had chosen, and it was a good one. Besides which, he was only twenty-one. His twenty-second birthday would be in a few weeks. There was plenty of time for kids or whatever else if he chose to pursue that. He scratched the side of his head and pulled his socks off, staring pensively at the city.

"Are you brooding?" A soft, feminine voice called from behind him. He turned, and there was Alcestis, still lying on the bed, propping herself up on one arm.

"Shouldn't you be napping, yo?" Reno asked, smiling a little.

"I find it hard to sleep without you next to me, now. Too many nights in that apartment." Alcestis replied, scratching her head a little. "So come on. Why are you brooding?"

"I'm not brooding, yo. Reno Ferren doesn't brood."

"Alcestis Mirro isn't a black mage either. I'm also the uncle of a two-inch high behemoth."

"You don't believe me, yo."

"Not a word."

Reno sighed. "Just wondering what's going to happen when this is all over."

"What do you mean? We're going to save the world, then we're going back to live in your apartment where you fetch sandwiches for Rufus and I help little children and track down criminals."

"Is Nereid going to live with us?"

Alcestis looked down at the gagighandi, who looked as though she had turned to stone, she was so still sleeping.

"I hadn't thought about that."

"It was a good life back there. Why did we bother leaving it, yo?"

"Because it would've ended soon enough if we didn't do this anyway. I mean, who else was going to do it? Cloud and Tifa were going nowhere. Nobody else has got the means to do this. You could say we were appointed by circumstance."

"Yeah, but I won't, yo."

Alcestis clumsily stumbled off the bed, but managed not to wake anyone. He turned back to the window, surveying the city quietly as her quiet footsteps padded up behind him, still in her shredded ballgown. He felt her hands settle on his shoulders, her light breathing behind him. The sensation of her hands on his shoulders had caused a bizarre sensation to flash through his body, a pleasing tingle that made his body flare up in goosebumps. He tried to ignore the sudden pull he felt. It was strange, enigmatic; Reno did not have feelings for women. He did not want to hold them, or stroke their hair, or gently kiss them on the top of the head when they were sleeping. He was not tender, or sweet, or romantic. He was a sex god. It was something he did very well, the sort of thing that loose women appreciated.

But Alcestis was not a loose woman, and while he very much would've enjoyed the sex, she made him want to do other things. Like hold her. Like cuddling. And play with her hair. And gently kiss her when she was dreaming. He felt…weird. Really just kind of awkward. If he decided to get married, and have kids, who would it be with? When he'd thought about it a moment ago, he hadn't realized it, but he had pictured himself with Kess.

She, of course, didn't want to be anything more than buddies. They were living together because she had nowhere else to go. Well, it had been by necessity, but she hadn't needed to stay. She asked to. But it wasn't because of him. She'd asked to stay because she was trying to find something new in her life, or something like that. Whatever. It hadn't been him.

It was like torture. Every day of his life, he felt more and more strongly about her. It had passed the point where he was content with sexual tension and flirting and lust. He found himself wanting to _be_ with her. And she would never go for a cretin like him.

But he couldn't help but care about her. She fed him, which was a bonus, and she was strangely attractive, and she had such strength of character. He did not see that in women. She was clever, witty, and compassionate, yet vigilant, fierce, determined. She was… incredible. And he was, well… might as well just admit it.

In love.

He was brought back to reality when Alcestis squeezed his shoulders again. "Reno? You okay?"

He turned, took her hands in his, smiled a little. "I'm fine, Kess. But I'd be better if you got back to sleep, yo. Just…" he hesitated a little. "Just promise me that you'll make it though this all right."

She gave him a soft, sleepy smile that made his heart skip and thump a little bit harder. "We'll make it through together, Reno. Don't worry about it. Now come on. Let's get some sleep."


	23. In which there is a very short road trip

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **And more! :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following morning Alcestis was awoken by a small shake from Yetta, who grinned at her nicely. "If you'd like to get into real clothes, they're back with our bags." Yetta was thrilled to be back in her Turk uniform – her shredded ballgown had been thrown unceremoniously onto the floor.

Alcestis stood, yawning. She picked up her staff first, to check it over. All the materia was still in place. The spell knot at the top was in perfect condition, and the sharp metallic point at the bottom was properly honed. She was pleased. She picked up a small pack, and quietly squeezed into the bathroom with Elena, who was also changing, and Yetta, who was brushing her teeth with joy in her eyes. Alcestis closed the door quietly, dressing silently. The boys were, she was sure, enjoying the free breakfast buffet downstairs, but she wasn't sure where Cyrene was until she spotted snow-white hair behind her, realizing for the first time that the shower was running.

"Have you guys seen where Nereid went?" She asked, tying her scarf loosely about her neck.

Yetta shook her head. Elena looked confused.

"The Gagighandi?" Cyrene said from the shower. "I'm not sure. She wasn't here when I woke up this morning."

"Thanks anyway." Alcestis stopped at the door to the cramped bathroom, her hand on the knob. "I want to thank you for coming along on this… thing. I know you probably think it's more of a joke than anything, but you've been good about it."

Elena nodded, smirking a little. Cyrene muttered something affirmative from the shower, and Yetta just grinned, her usual cheerfulness taking its place on her face. "Hey, no worries! We're getting paid for this!"

Alcestis smiled widely, and Alcestis realized that it was the first time the rest of them had seen her smile at anyone besides Reno. She exited the bathroom, called her staff to her hand through her divine power of telekinesis, and left the hotel room. The elevator to the lobby was large, enough to fit twenty people. Fortunately, she had plenty of elbow room – she shared the elevator with only a robot of some kind, an elderly man and his three young grandchildren, and a man in a black jacket who looked very much as though he had had a rough night.

Alcestis felt her eyebrows rise, a gesture to herself. Because she hadn't had a rough night, herself? She had slept easily on Reno's shoulder the previous night, with her new familiar at her back. But getting there, well… the ship had been no pleasure cruise, and the party had been anything but a celebration of friendship. And waking up to find Reno surveying the city streets below… well that had been rather unexpected. She knew Reno well enough to know that when he was tired – and he must've been, having been the only one awake the entire trip from Costa Del Sol to here – that he slept like a rock. Snored sometimes, even. To find him looking out over the city pensively was really rather unusual – that was typically her place, and Reno the one cheering her, instead of the other way around. Perhaps she had rubbed off on him. He had tensed and then relaxed when she had touched his shoulders. Was there something wrong? She snorted. Of course there was. Why else would he have been so… distant?

The ding of the elevator almost surprised Alcestis – it had been a short ride. She stepped into the lobby, reflected that it looked much different in daylight, and headed towards the smell of cinnamon rolls.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno spotted her the moment she had entered the small buffet, and had waved at her, grinning. The sight of her made his heart skip a beat. He wanted to stifle it. Love was not good for a Turk. Not for an assassin. It made you weak. It made you compassionate towards other people – including the ones you were supposed to kill. She smiled at him sweetly as she glided towards him. He couldn't help but smile in return. _Yeah, she's got a soft spot for me, yo_.

She slid into the seat next to him gracefully, and winked at him when he handed her a muffin. Rude was nodding off at the table on Reno's other side, muttering something in his sleep about "them damn ninjas". Across the table, Vincent chewed his jelly toast quietly and politely, staring off into space. Reno privately wondered if the man even needed sleep. Next to Vincent, Oedipus had the appearance of table manners if not the reality. He would glare at and sniff everything on his plate before he ate any of it. He was scrutinizing his scrambled eggs with particular distaste. At the end of the table, between Rude and Oedipus, Tseng was shoveling food into his mouth at a slow and steady pace, making it appear as though he was doing it more out of reflex than anything else. Every once in a while, Tseng would snap at Oedipus to just "Knock that off and eat the damn food" before shoveling more of his own in.

With his companions not being much in the way of conversation it didn't really come as a surprise that Reno had chosen Alcestis to talk to.

"So where do we move on to next, yo?" He asked, downing some orange juice and burping a little.

Alcestis gave him a reproving look, and he put his hand over his mouth as though bashful, a gesture that she found cute, and she replied. "I'm not certain. I know we're headed south of here, but we'll have to stop at settlements for various supplies. Any chance we can take the chopper?"

"No way, yo. We asked the pilot, he said no, we called Rufus to try to jump over his head, and Rufus replied that the chopper has to remain here – something about the local politics here, he said – and Cyrene muttered something about not being able to find the place by air, anyway. Whether that means _she_ couldn't find it by air or it simply can't be found that way , I don't know, yo. But it looks like we're either driving or – how did Rude put it? – 'hoofing it', yo."

Alcestis sank back in her seat. "The sooner we get there the better. We'd better rent a car."

"That, ShinRa can actually provide, yo."

"How nice of them." Alcestis said, rolling her eyes. Reno laughed a little.

"Yeah, we're good for something sometimes, yo."

Alcestis smiled at him.

"Especially in bed, yo."

She punched in the arm.

"Well I am."

She rolled her eyes. He felt something sharp poke him in the arm between them.

"I would appreciate it if you would try to keep your desires in your pants." The gagighandi said. "I don't want my mage pregnant during this journey."

Alcestis blinked, looking at her new familiar. "I'm not going to sleep with him."

"Not now, you won't." Nereid said. "I can see into the future sometimes, you know. Now give me a biscuit."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, you can see the future?"

"Whatever you want it to mean, my dear. Now please give me a biscuit. With jelly, if you would."

Reno leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "It means I will seduce you one day, yo." He said, a cocky air about him and an irritating self-assured smirk on his face.

Nereid jabbed him roughly in the ribs. "Not in your immediate future, anyway, you heathen. Now will one of you _please_ hand me a biscuit?!"

Alcestis obliged her sulkily, pouting angrily (whether or not this was fake, Reno could not tell) as Nereid padded off, chewing pleasantly. Reno grinned and nodded at her. "Oh yeah, that's right, you heard her. You will succumb to my charms soon enough, yo."

"Reno, you are a pig."

"That doesn't stop you from finding me attractive, now does it, yo?"

"I'm going to rip one of the nasty unwashed socks from your feet and stuff it into your mouth."

"As long as you don't throw me into a wall, yo."

She sighed. "I can't do that. I need you in fighting form to be of any use."

"Any sexual use?"

"I'm going to kill you."

"If you don't bed me first, yo."

"You can stop with your sexually tinged banter, now." Cyrene said, sitting down at the table primly next to Vincent, buttering a slice of bread. Reno could've sworn she caught a small wink in their direction from Cyrene's stern face. He went back to grinning and winked at Alcestis, who glared at him shrewdly and ate her muffin.

Yetta plopped down next to Cyrene, and Elena stood behind Tseng, massaging his shoulders gently. Reno felt bad for Tseng. Leading this group against some crazy guy from the past who might not even be real in order to save the world from some kind of ridiculous threat that was keeping Midgar under siege? That had to be a nasty responsibility.

Tseng rubbed his forehead, and patted one of Elena's hands affectionately. He cleared his throat and stared at the table.

"ShinRa has provided us with a vehicle. Our next destination is the Gold Saucer. From there, we can travel through Cosmo Canyon to the forest. At that point, Cyrene will be leading the way. We are departing in twenty minutes. Be ready."

-~-*Å*-~-

The car had arrived with Nereid behind the wheel. The rest of the party had frowned in confusion, but the gagighandi insisted they hop in. Within only a few minutes, the entire group had been thrust inside the armored vehicle and they were well on their way, with Nereid driving surprisingly well.

Yetta fell asleep on the floor in the middle of the car. It was something like a limo inside, except that there were any number of "secret" compartments which contained a variety of liquor and weapons. Reno had downed an entire bottle of something with fruit on the label and still acted as though he was completely sober. Alcestis was amazed by this.

The day passed. Slowly, and agonizingly, but it passed. They played a game of Chocobo Run, even Vincent (who placed small bets) and every last one of them was cleaned out by Alcestis. Reno muttered something along the lines of "told you she was a card shark."

Sometime in the evening, just before sunset, Nereid stopped the car and informed everyone to have a piddle in the grass if they needed to, as they would be venturing into the mountains. They stumbled from the car, found their special individual spot, did their business, and then piled back into the vehicle. Tseng did a quick headcheck. Everyone was in one piece and present. And then Nereid gunned the engine, heading straight for the mountains. They were jostled around, and when the mad bumping stopped (evidence of Nereid finding a road) Alcestis was in Reno's lap, Rude, Tseng, and Yetta were in a pile on the floor, Elena, Cyrene and Oedipus were clinging to one another, and Vincent was sitting quietly in his seat as though the rest of them had not been thrown about like rag dolls.

In the following hours, one by one, they each fell asleep. Except for Alcestis. Whether it was because she couldn't or because she chose not to, she could not differentiate. All she knew was that this was getting frustrating. What exactly, was it? The quest as a whole. The constant danger of being attacked. Reno's actions that no longer seemed to be entirely sexually motivated. Yes, Reno… she looked down into her lap. He had rested his head there earlier. He had one of his legs propped over the other one as he slept in her lap, his chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. She sighed. He was so adorable when he slept. So sincere.

There had been something in his eyes the previous night when he had asked her to promise him she'd make it through this alive. Something… emotional? She had no idea. She couldn't be sure. But it was definitely something.

Of course, that was all could she read in herself, was "definitely something". She could usually read other people well, but lately, that skill was being inhibited by something she simply couldn't place…

Well, she could. It was her feelings. She sighed in disgust. _Feelings_. She sounded like a sappy show host.

But she couldn't deny it. That was definitely what was causing her small block. Unexpected – well, not entirely – feelings. For a certain redhead. She sighed again, her forehead pressed against the cold window, gazing up at the stars and the great infinity of space.

"You'll feel better if you just admit it to yourself."

Alcestis looked over, and it took her a minute to realize that it was Vincent who had spoken. His eyes were barely open, his body completely still.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No. But you do sigh quite loudly."

She sighed again. "Sorry."

"Think nothing of it. But you'll feel better if you just admit it to yourself."

She frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

Vincent rubbed his forehead absently with his non-clawed hand. "The true, honest variety only comes upon you once in a lifetime. The self-sacrificial variety. I…wasted it. No, wasted is not the word. She was not a waste. But I did ruin it. Or we collectively ruined it. Nevertheless, Ruined, forever, until something unnatural takes me from this world…"

"Vincent… what the hell are you talking about?"

Vincent took in a deep breath. "You are, very clearly, in love with that young man. If you admit it to yourself, you'll feel better. I would strongly recommend not wasting it, now that you can have it."

"Vincent, that doesn't even-"

"There are very few true joys in life, Alcestis. Seize anything you can. I have been there. In this lifestyle, the one where you feel the need to save others, there are few things to celebrate. Love is one of the very few things which touches everyone. Take it while it's yours."

Alcestis blinked at Vincent, and turned her vision down. She examined Reno's face and could find no flaw. His chest rose and fell slowly with breath, his lips slightly open, his eyes clearly moving beneath his eyelids as he dreamt. She gently ran her finger tips over one of his tattoos over his cheekbone. "I love him."

Vincent nodded. "Do you feel better?"

Alcestis nodded, a slow and barely perceptible movement, and said "Yes. I think I do."

Vincent nodded. "It's not my place to tell you when the right time is. Only you will be able to realize that. But I would strongly suggest telling him how you feel."

She shook her head. "Please. Turks do not fall in love."

"Tseng and Elena."

"With each other, maybe. And not Reno. Reno is incapable of love in the sense that you're thinking of."

"Love is the one thing which touches everyone." Vincent repeated. "If it has gotten a hold of Reno, not even he will be able to fight it. And I'm certain it has, and that he's not even trying."

She inclined her head at him. "What makes you say that?"

"Please. Are you so naïve?"

She nodded.

"I'm not sure if the rest of this oblivious group has noticed – the gagighandi, perhaps – but I have seen the manner in which he looks at you when he believes you are not looking at him. The way he stiffens if he thinks you're in trouble. That was a desperate young man who came up the hill yelling at me in search of you in Costa Del Sol. It was a man with a vengeance searching for you on the ship. That young man cares about you greatly and he has been pushed off his feet by it. He doesn't know how to handle it. He'll need assistance getting back up."

She looked down at Reno and back at Vincent.

"Do you really believe that-"

"Certain."

She nodded again. "I… I think… thank you, Vincent."

He nodded in return.

She stared at the moon through the window which peeked at her from in between the mountains, and suddenly felt strangely unsafe. Maybe it was just paranoia… or perhaps they were being followed. Or maybe something bad was just about to happen, without them necessarily having been followed.

There was a sputter from ahead of her, and suddenly the car stopped vibrating. The car had stopped.

"Nereid…?"

The Gagighandi's head appeared at the small window between the driver's section and passenger's area. "The car's engine just broke down. I'm afraid we're going to have to walk from here. Wake up all the napping little children back there and we'll get moving."

Alcestis shook Reno gently, who waved a hand at her, smacked his lips a little and rolled onto his side, his nose gently pressing into her stomach. She shook him again.

"Come on, Kess, just five more minutes. I don't gotta be to work yet. Like they'll notice if I'm late."

Alcestis smirked and shook her head a little. She gently squeezed his shoulder, and his eyes opened. "What?" He said, his eyes wandering up to her face.

"The car broke down. We've got to walk to the next hospitable resting place."

"We didn't break down in the mountains, did we?"

"Yes, Reno, we did. We've got a ways before we reach Gold Saucer."

"You've got to be shitting me."

"Afraid not, sleepy head. Now come on, let's get going."

The sleepy group stumbled out of the broken down car. Tseng put in a quick call to let the proper authorities know that they were abandoning it there, and they set out forward, Reno keeping an arm around Alcestis in an effort to keep her shivering body warm.


	24. In which Vincent loses his temper

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **I've gotten a couple of reviews saying that the readers aren't necessarily into original characters, but they like mine. For one thing, thank you very much! That's a huge compliment and gives me a great deal more confidence in my work. And for another – I usually don't like original characters either. Mine are here because I felt they would add more dynamics to the traveling group, and I sure hope they succeed!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

As she tripped, she fell, and upon falling, she began to roll down the mountainside with sickening thumps and cracks, her body bouncing off unnaturally. Reno failed to catch her. Alcestis failed to catch her. They all did. Oedipus was the last to try, and she slipped vainly out of his hands and continued to roll down the mountainside.

Yetta's body came to an eerily still stop in the valley of the mountain. The rest ran down the mountain as fast as they dared. Her four-legged body being more conducive to that kind of action, Nereid arrived first, nudging the body with her snout.

"She's nearing death." Nereid shouted up at the still dashing group.

"Do something to keep her alive until I get there." Cyrene shouted down.

Nereid blinked dolefully at Yetta and suddenly the body turned to stone.

"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Cyrene came to a screeching halt, skinning her knees. She set to work, waving her scepter about.

"It's going to take an extra few minutes to get her turned from stone…" She muttered bitterly.

"What else was I supposed to do? CPR?" Nereid asked, waving a paw and shooting Cyrene a dirty look.

In the remaining moments, the rest managed to trip and stumble their way to the bottom, resting comfortably at the base of the mountain. It was a lightly-dew covered valley, which glistened pleasantly in the starlight.

"We have got to find someplace to stay tonight." Cyrene muttered, casting quickly and quietly.

Elena stood, wandering, knowing that Tseng was watching her with concern. Elena turned, and took an involuntary step backwards.

"Well… there's a cavern of some kind right here." Elena said, gesticulating.

Vincent froze. No one noticed except for Alcestis, who flashed him a look of concern. He merely shook his head.

Yetta abruptly came back to life, sucking in deep, rasping breaths.

"Somebody carry her. We're spending the night here."

Rude scooped up the comparatively tinier girl into his arms, and they entered the cave, Vincent hanging his head, and Alcestis grabbing Reno's hand out of sheer nerves.

It narrowed at first, in darkness, but then suddenly widened, a show of glowing crystalline lights and a lovely, gentle waterfall.

Vincent froze, his eyes widening. He stood with his back to the backs of the others, his face a mask of impassive horror.

"Vincent, what-" Alcestis began, and then she looked past him. The rest turned and fell silent.

Vincent merely stood, his hands hanging limply at his sides, and stared into the crystalline depths, not moving, not weeping… only torn.

Silence can be piercing, as Alcestis learned at that moment. It pierced the cave, pierced her ears, blocking out even the sound of the gentle waterfall.

"Vincent, is that… is…"

"Yes." Vincent replied, unable to move.

Before them was a young woman encased in a mako crystal, her eyes closed, her hair looking lovely though still.

"That is Lucrecia Crescent." Oedipus said. "She was married to Hojo at one time. She disappeared; no one knows what happened to her."

"I do." Vincent said, moving into a position in which he knelt on one knee. "She gave birth to an abomination, and lost the will to live."

"By abomination, do you mean-"

"Don't be a moron, Oedipus. I know it's difficult for you, having been born that way, but do shut your mouth." Cyrene said sharply, her frosty eyes sending a warning.

"Oh, sweet Lucrecia." Vincent murmured, shaking his head at the trapped woman. "What a fool I was. What fools we were…"

The cave rumbled slightly. It was a slight, barely noticeable vibration, but it roused even Yetta from her half-conscious state. Vincent turned, a feral rage in his eyes. "No. Not here. You will not disturb us here."

A King Behemoth roared through the waterfall, followed by the support of several minotaurs.

"Shit." Rude muttered. "We've been followed."

"You will not violate this place!" Vincent cried, his voice warping as his eyes glowed a strange red. His body glowed, morphed grotesquely, changed.

"It's Chaos," Elena said, shocked, her mouth gaping.

"Everybody get the hell out of his way!" Tseng screamed, grabbing Elena and running off to the side. Reno grabbed Alcestis, and practically dragged her away from Vincent, keeping his arms tight around her in an effort to protect her.

"We're going to make it through this together, right?" She said, leaning against him breathlessly.

"You bet, yo."

The beast screeched, an inhuman screech, much like one of an ancient reptilian animal. He dove forward, defeating half the force in one go, causing a mass of red glowing lights to sink into the ground.

Yetta shrieked, her body thrashing violently.

"She's hallucinating." Cyrene shouted from across the cave. "Somebody hold her down. She's liable to injure herself like this."

Rude pinned her as best he could, her tiny frame kicking beneath his body.

Vincent-Chaos roared, and grabbed the King Behemoth by its horns. He-It lifted the creature above his head and casually tossed it into a wall with such force that the impact threatened the integrity of the cave.

"Vincent can handle this! Everybody get out of here!" Tseng shouted over the commotion. He grabbed Elena by the wrist and the two ran from the cave, closely followed by Cyrene and Oedipus, who were helping Rude to restrain Yetta. Nereid pushed Alcestis with her nose before dashing out, and Reno grabbed her arm and dragged her out. Before she disappeared from sight, Alcestis was certain that she saw a tear fall from Lucrecia's closed eye within the crystal.

Twenty minutes later, Vincent reappeared at the back of the party. When asked what happened, Vincent replied "The threat has been neutralized."

Alcestis opened her mouth, but Vincent quickly silenced her with "I believe _we_ are at peace… neither and both of us have been saved."

And no one spoke of the incident in Vincent's presence at any time following.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno laid on his back, staring up at the stars, not minding the grass tickling the sides of his cheeks. His hands were behind his neck, his legs crossed casually at the ankle, staring upwards. He tried counting the stars, but there were far too many. He sighed.

They had been walking for six days. Six days of nonstop walking. Food was beginning to run out. Tseng estimated that they would reach the Gold Saucer tomorrow. The problem would be getting across the sandy, nasty terrain surrounding it; and of course, the possibility that there was still a WEAPON lurking in the sands around it.

For now, Reno chose to stare into the sky and contemplate his existence. And his conclusions about himself.

So he was in love. No getting out of it. And he was in love with a perfectly capable woman, so if someone were to try to assassinate her because she was attached to a Turk, she could probably handle them without issue. So there was no guilt there. No reason to deny that he liked – no, he could at least think it – loved her.

Except that she'd never love him. He was… a scruff. A hitman. A kidnapper. A member of the secret police. A Turk. She did not want a Turk. She did not, could not, would not love him. They were friends. She might come to think of him as a brother. But that was it.

He gagged a little. A brother. That was the last thing he wanted. Better casual friends than siblings.

Besides, being her adoptive brother was a bad omen.

And it would mean that he would never get to kiss her. He sighed, almost a little disgusted with himself. He'd gotten into the habit of, when he had a moment of peace of mind, imagining himself kissing her. Reno Ferren did not fantasize about kissing women. If he wanted to, he just _did_ it. But no, not this one. She was different. She broke all the rules about Reno and women.

Which was probably why she was perfect for him.

He winced, inwardly. Where had he gotten all these thoughts about meant to be, and perfect for each other and… what, was he the star of some cheesy romance movie he didn't know about? He wasn't the most chivalrous guy… but he still found himself opening doors for her.

He couldn't wait for this… _thing_ to be over with. So that they could go back to living together with playful banter and their gradual progression of their friendship… or relationship. Since they had started this _thing_, all of that had been put on hold. He didn't want it there.

He wanted to tell her he was in love with her.

Which was dangerous.

But he wanted to know if it was possible for her to love him, too.

Reno let a large breath out through his nose, staring deadpan at the sky. He hadn't felt this un-enthused since having to chase down Elena in Wutai.

He heard a series of cuss-words and a stifled scream, and knew that it was Cyrene having another of her episodes. Sometimes, when she looked at Oedipus, her eyes would go foggy, her memories surfacing… and her body would freeze, her muscles stiffen, and she would cover her eyes, as though trying to block out an image. He felt terribly sorry for her.

He turned his head, allowing the grass to tickle his cheeks further to get a better view of Alcestis. She was frowning in her sleep, as she had done often lately, especially when Cyrene began to have a fit. He wanted to wake her, see her deep green eyes flutter open and give him that puzzled, sleepy, middle-of-the-night smile.

He suddenly turned his head back, pulled his standard-issue magnum from its place in his pocket. He turned the safety off, clicked into position and pointed it at his temple.

"Get out, yo." He muttered quietly. "Get out of my head. I don't _want_ to be in love." He pointed the gun away from him. "Hell yes I do." he breathed, before pointing it back at his temple again. "No, no, no… Love is not something Turks do, yo. There is no room for love and compassion when your job is to be an assassin for hire. She doesn't want me anyway, yo. She'll want to start a family with some nice guy. Not a sex-crazed bastard like me." He sighed, and muttered even more quietly, "I have got to stop picturing her naked." He tapped his temple with the gun gently, and said slightly louder, "She doesn't want me, yo."

He heard three quick clicks in succession of a gun locking into firing position, and looked over to find a three barreled gun pointed at his face from less than two feat away.

"Yes, she does, and your incessant self-argument is irritating."

"Cranky when sleepy, yo?"

"I have been unable to sleep for the past six days. You are not helping. Every night I have to hear you expostulating over nothing. Alcestis Mirro is in love with you, and that amazes me to no end. Now _please_ shut the hell up. I desire rest." Vincent said, his red eyes blazing with a fiery anger.

"What makes you think she's in love with me, yo?"

"I heard her say so." Vincent's eyes narrowed considerably. "I told her to seize love where she can find it, but now I am not so sure. Perhaps I should have let her talk herself out of it."

"Don't think I'm good enough for her, yo?"

"I didn't say that. I think you would take good care of her. But you certainly don't deserve her." Vincent fixed him with a piercing look. "You realize that loving her means you'll have to change the way you conduct yourself, don't you?"

"Was being a Turk like this when you were one?"

"I don't seem to recall killing anyone on the President's whim. But, I did not work for Rufus." He sighed, his eyes narrowing. "But she loves you and you're perfectly free to love her, so shut the hell up."

"Will you please stop pointing that thing at me?"

"Only if you promise to shut the hell up."

"Turk's honor, yo."

"Good. And if I have to listen to you fuss at night again, I promise not to point my gun at you."

"Thanks, yo."

"I'll rip you apart." He said very seriously.

"Um… I'll keep that in mind."

Vincent nodded, lowering his weapon and clicking the safeties back on. Reno watched the angsty man close his eyes, and eventually find sleep.

Reno turned his head back the other way, to find that, since Cyrene had stopped moaning, Alcestis' face had returned to its normal sleeping face – exceedingly peaceful and exotically stunning – as she lay on her back, her staff balanced across her body with her hands clutching it. So she loved him…

Suddenly, Reno had an idea. He had no idea if he could get away with it, but he was going to try. He carefully moved himself across the grass, close to Alcestis. He propped himself up on one arm and put his other arm over her, not touching her, but with his hand solidly planted on the grass on the opposite side of her. He gently lowered his head, and, light as a feather, kissed her on the lips. It was short, little more than an affectionate peck, but he had done it. He pulled back, looking at her face, and was pleased to find that it had taken on a smile. He scooted back over to his spot in the group, and closed his eyes, putting his hands behind his head, in his usual, cocky style. He grinned as fell asleep. _Oh yeah. I knew she wanted me, yo_.

Two feet away, Vincent opened one eye, peered for a moment, and closed it. Knowing Reno would not hear him, he murmured "It's about damn time."


	25. In which a ropeway car is hijacked

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Thank you Gabby-sama for your grammatical catch! *fixes it* I've read and re-read every page of this thing so many times, and I still miss things v.v; Thanks so much!  
And in celebration of the A I got on my microbiology exam, another chapter! :D

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following morning, Reno was very pleased to be awoken. He found that the person with a hand on his chest giving him a slight shake was Alcestis, and was all too happy to open his eyes to her gently smiling face, and her soft voice. "Reno, you have to get up now, sleepy head." He couldn't keep the stupid grin off of his face. He felt like a total moron. Even if Reno Ferren was in love, he didn't get stupid for a girl. But he was unbearably happy. Maybe this was what they called, what the hell was it, "swooning"?

"Okay, okay, I'm up. What's the problem, yo?" Reno said, standing and wiping the dirt off of his hands.

Tseng stood at the edge off the grass, right before it turned into the sands which surrounded Gold Saucer.

"Gold Saucer is about a ten minute walk from this point. But we have no idea if there is a WEAPON still out there." Tseng said, the rest of the crew standing behind him.

"And we have no way of finding out." Elena added smartly.

Reno stared at her, and cocked an eyebrow.

"You think there is, genius? Share." Elena said, thrusting her chin out.

Reno sighed, shaking his head, much to her chagrin. He picked up a rock that had been minding its own business on the ground, took a few running steps and threw it as hard as could towards Gold Saucer. The throw was magnificent – he heard somebody mutter something about professional athletes – and the stone landed relatively close to the Gold Saucer, within 75 yards or so.

They watched, stupefied, as within seconds, a large red and silver clawed appendage reached up, the sand swallowing the rock. Moments later, little hunks of gravel – presumably pieces of the rock – were spat back out onto the surface.

"Ooooooooookay, so… skipping across the sands is not the hottest idea…" Yetta said awkwardly. Reno reflected that it was good to see her coherent, even if she was leaning on Rude for perpetual support. She laughed and smiled a little bit, and then cringed, her ribs aching. "Perhaps we should've gotten a ride from the North Corel Ropeway station, eh?"

Tseng glared at her. "Brilliant. So good of this to occur to you _now_, that we're running out of supplies and desperately in need of a place to stay."

"Sorry, Tsengy-poo." She said, squeezing Rude's shoulder a little bit as she almost lost her balance.

Elena abruptly pointed a gun at Yetta's chest. "Do not call him that."

"Oh for Holy's sake, you damn rookie, put your gun down. Stop taking yourself so damn seriously."

Elena pouted a little at Cyrene's rebuke, which earned an "Oh, grow up, yo." From Reno.

"Any ideas on how to get there?"

"We could bypass it entirely and head to Cosmo Canyon." Rude said, speaking thoughtfully and for the first time in days.

"We don't have nearly enough supplies. The monsters would tear us apart between here and there, anyway. We need real rest." Oedipus said, contributing his two cents rather pompously.

"Like we're going to get it at the Gold Saucer anyway." Cyrene said. "Do they still have that awful ghost hotel?"

The group's silence answered her, and she muttered "Oh please, just shoot me now."

"That can be arrang-"

"Shut _up_, Oedipus." Tseng said. "I don't know why Rufus wanted you along, anyway."

"To make sure your incompetence didn't doom us all, I'm sure." Oedipus replied.

This time it was Tseng who raised his gun, and Oedipus raised his eyebrows.

"Put your weapon away, greaseball." Alcestis muttered. "Shooting each other is going to get us nowhere."

The gagighandi spoke for the first time. "My mage is quite correct. We need to work together or else we're all going to die, and I sincerely doubt that this was the end you all had planned."

Vincent, who had been characteristically quiet, also spoke. "I strongly suggest that we think of a way to get to the Gold Saucer before the rising temperature evaporates our blood in our veins."

Cyrene raised her hand a little, and Tseng pointed to her. "I had to do something like this with the Turks once-" She cut off sharply, her eyes starting to go fuzzy, and she closed them until she felt normal once more. "And I think there is a very simple way for us to reach that holyforsaken amusement park without much difficulty."

-~-*Å*-~-

"I'm not going to pretend I have any moral quandaries with this, but I still question its wisdom." Oedipus muttered.

The cliff overlooking the sandy pit which held their salvation in the middle had been nearby and actually not all that difficult to scale, which was not surprising since they had made their way up the grassy hill side of it with the cliff facing the gold saucer.

"Yes, well, wisdom was hardly ever your strong point, now was it, Oedipus?" Cyrene said scathingly.

The ropeway that led from North Corel to the Gold Saucer took a path directly over the edge of the cliff where the party was standing. Alcestis was actually leaning against a pole which supported the ropeway.

Cyrene's plan had been simple. Her idea was simply to stop the next ropeway car approaching, and hijack it. Tseng had applauded her – it was a solid idea, not difficult to accomplish, and it did not require them walking an extra who-knows how many miles. Why, it would not even be all that difficult to get the ropeway to stop. The driver was legally obligated to stop the vehicle if "pedestrians" were in danger of being harmed. And if it didn't stop… well, they had a plan for that, too. So all they really had to do was wait.

Which was the plan's greatest flaw. They had no idea how long it might be until the next ropeway car came on through. So they were stuck waiting. And if there was one thing Alcestis hated, it was waiting when there was something to be done. She was, however, forced to accept that the party was only human, so-to-speak (Nereid certainly wasn't, and could Cyrene, Vincent and Oedipus truly be considered human?) and therefore needed proper rest and supplies. So she would give in. She would allow this one stop, this one concession, before she decided to actually fill her shoes in the leader capacity and drive them like dogs. She doubted that Tseng would stop her – he seemed as eager to get this over with as she.

No one else seemed to mind the waiting. Apparently the fact that they weren't being attacked was something of a relief to them, having had it happen almost every time they tried to stop somewhere. Tseng, Elena and a bruised Yetta were playing Chocobo Run, and utterly refused to invite Alcestis into the game. Oedipus was skimming through some kind of informational document he seemed to have pulled from nowhere, and Cyrene and Alcestis leaned against the same pole, not speaking, but comfortable. Finally. Alcestis had accepted Cyrene's hard personality as a way of protecting herself, and Cyrene had accepted Alcestis' use of black magic as a force driven by good. Alcestis believed that Cyrene's sudden – and subtle – acceptance had spawned from the appearance of her wise familiar. Speaking of whom, the gagighandi was nowhere to be found. She had said something about "special supplies" and disappeared entirely.

And of course, Rude and Reno, being young, male, and therefore, stereotypically stupid, had taken to a little contest of seeing who could throw a rock the furthest into the sands. Then they would delight in watching the WEAPON grind it up and spit it back out. After a few tosses, Cyrene shouted "Knock that off! It's bad enough we're going to be skating over the WEAPON's head in a tiny little car, must you antagonize the beast?"

Reno turned back, gave her a winning smile, and pitched his rock as hard as he could onto the desert. Rude smirked a little, and Cyrene sighed.

"I think I'm going to butt in on the game over there, if you don't mind."

"Go on." Alcestis said, smirking a little. The gagighandi quickly took Cyrene's place, dropping a basket full of materia. Nereid sighed, and said "For the life of me, I cannot figure out why you love him."

"Love who?"

"Don't be stupid."

Alcestis laughed a little. "I think it's the 'yo'."

"Mmhmm." Nereid's reaction was clearly sarcastic. She shook her head. "Sure. Just don't be with child until this is all done, please."

"Nereid, you really need to stop with that."

"Stop with what?"

"I'm not going to have sex with Reno."

"..."

"I'm not!"

"Believe whatever it is you would like to believe, dear."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"Charming young man, isn't he?" Nereid said, picking up her basket and trotting towards the card game.

"Charming isn't the same is as seductive, you know!" Alcestis said a little too loudly. Reno turned around and raised his eyebrows.

"Talkin' about me again, yo?"

"Shove off, Reno."

Reno chuckled, and Alcestis quietly pouted as she heard him turn and mutter to Rude, "Oh yeah. She totally wants me, yo."

Alcestis scrunched up her nose bitterly. She could hear the others at the card game having a little laugh at her expense. She fervently hoped that Karma would provide them with retribution.

Suddenly, she could feel vibrations in the pole she was leaning on.

A ropeway car was coming.

She stood, dusting herself off. The omnipresent _hum _of the approaching railway car had gotten the attention of the other members of her party, and in seconds the gil lying on the grass had disappeared (whether it had been distributed fairly or not, she did not know) the cards had been stuffed back into Rude's pocket, and everyone was standing at the ready. The basket of materia Nereid had brought was mysteriously gone, but she could see the newly obtained materia glinting in the various weapons of the party. Each stood battle ready. She could hear the electronic hum of Reno's electromag-rod charging, and stood at the ready to do her part, should she need to.

She reflected for a moment on whether or not she could actually pull it off. She had actually argued with Cyrene about it, explaining to her, "My ability to move things is only so great. I can toss people who are for the most part un-moving, but I'm not sure I can stop something that's already in motion, particularly something quite so large and with as much momentum as a ropeway car."

Cyrene had nodded taking this into consideration. Her eyes had darted around strangely, as though in REM sleep with her eyes open, and finally said "Well... The car is supposed to stop anyway, and as long as you can slow the vehicle, we should be able to jump on. Magic is our best bet. But if you can't manage it, we can find a technological way to bring it down. Like having Tseng shoot the engine. Once we're inside, we can find some way to get it moving again. If you can't stop it, maybe you can get it moving again."

Alcestis had nodded apprehensively. She had a bad feeling about this.

As the ropeway car approached, she found herself sweating profusely. It was not stopping – she was going to have to try. She raised her staff towards it. Sparks began to fly as it visibly slowed, ever so slightly. With every second that passed, she found that her every breath was a rasping, ragged struggle. She put both hands on the staff, and found it shaking in her hands. It was as if the physics of the situation, the momentum, was struggling against her magic. Her peripheral vision became nothing - she was suffering from tunnel vision. She shuddered slightly with disgust as beads of sweat sloped down her face and back. As the ropeway car slowed significantly enough for the party to leap onboard, she found herself barely able to stand. Reno grabbed her around the middle, and flung her onto the car, following himself.

Tseng was pointing his gun at the passengers, a calm, cool, controlled leader. Alcestis fought the feeling of unconsciousness, and found that she had a new respect for Tseng for the manner in which he handled the civilians.

"None of you shall be harmed as long as you cooperate." He said, relaxed, collected. "We don't want your valuables. We want to get to Gold Saucer, and so do you. No problems. Report us and be shot. Say nothing and have a nice vacation. Your choice." Tseng said. A little boy to his left said to his mom, "Hey, he's cool!" Tseng blushed a little. Elena giggled.

"What's going on back here?" The driver wandered out of the control room. Tseng pointed the gun at his face. "Take us to Gold Saucer or get a bullet in the teeth."

The driver nodded, turned around and sat down at the controls. After a few minutes, the party felt the car begin moving again, much to their relief. Yetta sighed and leaned on Rude, who blinked absent-mindedly. Apparently, he had become used to Yetta using him for support. Tseng kept his gun out, but sat, along with Elena and Cyrene. Oedipus stood next to the driver's canopy, Vincent stood in the back, ever-silent, but flashed a rare smile at a small child who had begun to play with his cloak.

Reno took the seat closest to the entrance they had leaped through, holding onto Alcestis. Nereid laid at her feet.

"She over-exerted herself in stopping this vehicle." Nereid said, nudging the half-conscious mage. Alcestis could hear her familiar speaking, but could not bring herself to speak. She could not see anything, and had no idea whether her eyes were open or not.

"We'll get her some real rest, yo. A nice hotel. Keep her on bedrest. She wouldn't be interested in the kind of crap they have here anyway, yo."

"You seem strangely concerned about her, scoundrel. I thought you were the devil may care type?"

Alcestis could feel Reno's arm firmly about her waist. "Yeah, well...I thought so too, yo."

Alcestis did not see, but _felt_ someone approach them. She managed to make a small moaning noise. It was the most she could do to warn Reno.

"Who gave you the right to just jump on like this?" A man's voice said. He sounded nervous, but determined.

"We did, yo." Reno replied. "Do you have a problem, _sir_?"

"I'll... I'll throw all of you off myself!"

"Who do you think you are, punk? A first class SOLDIER? The next great Sephiroth? Sit your ass down." Cyrene said.

"I... I know magic!"

"I know guns." Elena said, pointing one at his forehead.

"In fact..." Tseng said. "We all kinda know guns."

The man looked around. He was looking down barrels everywhere he turned. The red-cloaked man in particular seemed menacing.

"Well, you're not all so tough. Look at _her_."

"Let's see how you look after you stop a ropeway car." Alcestis gave a weak, almost-awake smile. It was Rude's voice.

"Doesn't make her any less weak."

"Don't make us participate in senseless violence. You won't like the outcome." Yetta's perky voice said. It was obvious that holding up the gun was straining her damaged tissue... but regardless, she was doing so. "Just don't screw with us. Don't you know who we are?"

"I... It doesn't matter. I could care less! This is wrong!" The man said.

Alcestis, unable to fight back, felt herself being lifted on one side and tugged on the other.

"Let her _go_-"

"All right. Fine!" the man said.

Suddenly, Alcestis felt a wind at her back. Was she falling? She couldn't tell. She was no longer conscious.


	26. In which Reno is insanely brave

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Probably the shortest chapter of them all so far, but one of my favorites. :) Yay, it's almost the weekend!

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"You fool! That woman is more important than you can imagine!" Nereid leaped on the man with a ferocity so violent it surprised the other members of the party. She sunk her tusks into the man's throat. It was of no use, however - the man was already dead. The instant he had tossed Alcestis out the ropeway car, three bullets simultaneously sunk into his flesh. Vincent was angry. The man's corpse was immediately perforated by three more bullets - Elena, Tseng, and Yetta.

The party was on their feet, the other passengers cowering in their seats. There was a cry from a child who had been frightened by the gunshots.

"Where did Reno go?" Tseng asked.

Rude blinked, and looked towards the open door of the ropeway car.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno was not sure what had possessed him to hurl himself out of the car after her limp body. She was as good as dead. But something had made him leap through the door after her, his hands outstretched.

As the air rushed passed his body, he made a couple quick estimates: there was approximately eleven seconds until Alcestis hit the ground, and twelve until he did. The sand should give way under their weight for the most part. Surviving the fall was not impossible. It was not the fall that concerned him.

It was the WEAPON.

She hit the ground, her body unharmed - she had been completely limp. Reno hit the ground, having gone limp himself. There was a crunching sound under his right arm – the pain lanced through his side and he was almost certain he'd cracked a rib.

He had landed closer to the Saucer than Alcestis had. He dashed back to grab her, and found that the sand was already opening up beneath her. His heart hammered. It was impossible. _She_ _could not die._ Could _not_. A claw was appearing in the sand, inches away from Alcestis' body, moving slowly but surely toward the inevitable. She was done for, her body to be ground up and spat out like the stones he had tossed into the sand earlier. It was so close to her. He was nearing her. There was no way he could make it, no way...

Except that his arms scooped her up magnificently, cradling her against him, her body as limp as ever. He thought he felt her pulse.

She was still alive.

He took off running, dragged down by the extra weight, hindered by the lancing pain in his side, hampered by the sand slipping beneath him, spraying up behind him every time his feet hit the ground. He twisted his head just enough to peer behind him. The claw was coming ever closer. The WEAPON in its entirety was beginning to emerge from the sands, its long, monstrous arm appearing, then its shoulder. He swallowed, realizing his eyes were as big around as they had been the day he had first realized Meteor was in the sky, realizing his fear of the imminent end was just as gripping now as it had been then.

He ran towards the Saucer, feeling the subtle vibrations in the ground. They were growing nearer. He could hear the beast's thick breathing, the awful sucking sound it made on the air as its head breached the surface, the sick rasping noise as wind rushed past its jaws. There was a door. A ground door. No one must ever use it, he realized. It was probably boarded up. But it was there.

His legs burned. He was unaccustomed to running through sand with an extra 130 pounds in his arms. The pain in his side increased as he strained his muscles to keep hold of her. He gripped her all the tighter, his fear of dropping her intense. His breathing was ragged, quick. He felt a nasty cold sensation snake through the pit of his stomach.

Cold, never-ceasing fear.

And a heat growing in his chest.

Hope.

He continued running. He felt the WEAPON's breath on the back of his neck...

He rammed his right shoulder blade into the door with all his forward momentum, using his body as a shield for Alcestis from the shattering wood.

To his surprise, the boarded door gave way, sending sharp hunks of wood flying across the room, and they spilled out onto the floor. He scrambled further into the barely-lit storage room, dragging Alcestis with him. The WEAPON reached its claw in after them a few times before giving up its pursuit and sinking into the sand, a deep growl rippling through the ground. Reno dragged himself over to Alcestis' unmoving body, and realized that he had a huge burning sensation in the back of his shoulder. He put his hand on the offending area, and pulled it back to find blood. He turned his head as much as he could, and found that a piece of the door had lodged itself in his back, the old wood leaving a great many splinters next to his spine. He grimaced, and gasped as the full pain of it hit him. The adrenaline had blocked it out before, but was now wearing off. The burning in his back became searing, joining with sharp, stabbing pain of his side to pulse with a greater, even more unbearable agony.

But he was alive. That was something.

He draped an arm over Alcestis before passing out entirely.


	27. In which Reno wakes up

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **My brother is getting married tomorrow. Hurray! In celebration, here is another chapter.  
Also, thank all of you who have reviewed! Your reviews fill my heart with smiles, and it motivates me to finish this. :)  
A note on Alcestis: I wanted to make her a really intense person, who never does anything half-way. The problem with that is, of course, that she knows how easy it is for her to get carried away, so to avoid making a mistake, she always waits and evaluates before she does anything. It makes her a reserved, but passionate person. I did put some thought into this *sweatdrop*. I just hope it's coming across.

* * *

Reno woke, and tried to sit up. He let out a hiss as a burning sensation in his back prevented him from doing so. To his relief, he was in a bed in the ghost hotel. Meaning that someone had found him and fixed him up. Hopefully it had been the rest of the party. He brought his head up as much as he could, and found a young woman sitting in a chair next to his bed, her head and arms resting gently on his chest, asleep. He brought up his left hand, and played with one of her braids. Alcestis had fallen asleep, waiting for him to wake, though she must've been exhausted.

Cyrene whisked into the room, caught the tender expression on his face, and cleared her throat. "So you're awake?"

He looked at her expectantly. "How long have I been out, yo?" He asked.

"It's been three days. Alcestis came around the first day, and fussed over me while I was pulling all of that nasty wood out of your back. She's been fussing over you since she woke up. I thought she'd want to keep moving, and just drag you along, but no. She insisted on remaining here until you woke. Congratulations on coming through this in one piece, Ferren. I thought you were dead for sure after the fall, but you got back up. When I saw your back, I thought for sure you'd be paralyzed. But you're fine. You're just going to be on the mend for a while, along with Alcestis and Yetta."

Reno realized his torso was heavily bandaged.

"Is this really necessary? Can't you just heal me up?"

"No white mage can instantly repair a wound so... complicated. I'll have to do it in parts. You should be fine for now. Just don't push yourself too hard. I must say, I am impressed with your vigor. I've never seen such vitality in anyone, even a Turk, that wasn't modified somehow."

"Thanks, yo. I think."

Cyrene nodded, and swept out of the room in her usual graceful fashion. Reno returned his gaze to Alcestis' face, and smiled…

Alcestis suddenly jerked awake, and, upon realizing Reno was also awake, squeezed him tightly.

"OW! Motherf-"

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry! Are you all right? I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't. Don't worry about it, yo. How do you feel?"

"How do _I_ feel? Who cares? How do _you_-"

"I care, yo."

Alcestis smiled a little, and sighed. "I feel fine. Just unbearably tired."

"I thought it was summons that made you tired, and regular offensive magic made you-"

"It wasn't an offensive magic. It can't really be classified, since it's innate. But apparently fighting physics is something of a drain. But how do you feel, I've been so worried-"

"So Cyrene told me. I feel... okay, I guess. I just need to lay back a bit, yo."

Alcestis bit her lip. He found it sexy, but realized that she was doing so because she had intended to start moving again once he had awoken. Saying he needed bedrest directly conflicted with that. At the exact same time, each conceded to the other.

"We can stay until you feel better-"

"We should get going-"

They both stopped, and smiled. "How about we stay for one more day and then get moving?" Alcestis suggested.

Reno nodded. "Sounds good, yo." He stretched a little bit, and then flinched. But he continued to stretch, and left his hands behind his head. She grinned at him. He felt goosebumps ripple down his torso. She frowned.

"How often does that happen, Reno?"

"Hm?"

"How often is there a… physical manifestation of that happy feeling you get when I smile?"

"You noticed finally?"

"How long has it been going on?"

"Since you'd been in the apartment about a week and a half, yo. Well, it first happened after a couple of days. But after a week and a half it started to happen all the time. Which it still does, yo. Whenever you touch me or really smile. Why, yo?"

Her lips quirked a little before settling into a gentle smile. "No reason."

Reno was not stupid. He knew something was up. He'd just have to harass her about it later. He allowed a cocksure smirk to slide onto his face.

"So… how much time did you spend watching me half naked while I was unconscious, yo?"

Alcestis grabbed a pillow from the neighboring bed and threw it at him.

"Well?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be back with something for you to eat. Don't go anywhere. And stop undressing me with your eyes. You're making me uncomfortable."

"Aw, you know you love me, yo."

Alcestis' face looked serious for a moment as she muttered something he could not hear and left.

-~-*Å*-~-

It had been a good week in bed. He had enjoyed it immensely. Every time he winced Alcestis was immediately by his side, asking where it hurt, trying to use what little healing magic she knew to reduce the pain. She attended to his every need and he soaked it right up. Eventually, of course, she figured out he was just sucking up her attention, he knew; but she kept on doing it. Reno thought this was proof of her concern for him. Maybe she had fallen in love with him as Vincent had suggested.

He damn well hoped so.

He checked to make sure his bandages were wrapped tightly and securely – between Alcestis, Alcestis' nagging of Cyrene, and Cyrene, he was feeling a lot better. He buttoned his freshly laundered shirt, leaving the very top two buttons undone in his usual fashion, and donned his jacket. He grabbed his electromag-rod, which Rude had been kind enough to snatch up for him. He noticed Alcestis' staff leaning against the wall in the corner. Apparently Alcestis had given Yetta a hug when Yetta had returned it to her upon her waking. He wondered how Yetta felt about that. Alcestis had never hugged anyone that Reno knew about – except for himself, anyway.

Tseng had stood at the exit to Gold Saucer a few days before rather apprehensively. The sands stood between them and good old grassy lands again. Yetta suggested taking the ropeway station to North Corel and heading for Cosmo Canyon from there. Elena gagged, and Alcestis did her best to shut her up while Cyrene calmly explained to Yetta that North Corel was on the other side of the continent and that doing so, while safer, may set them back an absurd amount.

Eventually Tseng had to strike a deal with the owner of the Gold Saucer for some kind of hovercraft. The negotiations had taken almost a week.

On one hand, he was relieved that he hadn't had to stress his body after only a day of conscious rest, but on the other hand, he hated watching Alcestis become mentally stressed. It was obvious to him that it was of great importance to her, and it was slowly becoming important to him as it finally began to hit him that this was not just a job. They really were saving the world. Besides which, Alcestis had taken up the habit of running the tip of her tongue along her upper lip or biting the corner of her lower lip when she got to thinking about it, which was driving Reno mad. If she didn't find a new habit or they left soon, he felt he was going to have to jump her. And she wouldn't take well to that.

They set out on the hovercraft, which brought them to the edge of the sands in a matter of seconds. The deal was that they were supposed to send the hovercraft back once reaching the grass, but Tseng kept on going, citing "That bastard charged us way too much."

No one complained. If the hovercraft remained functioning all the way to Cosmo Canyon, they would make it there in about a couple of days.

-~-*Å*-~-

About a day had passed. The hovercraft was much like a speedboat, except that some kind of unique propulsions engine (that the Gold Saucer had clearly designed for transport over the sands) kept it afloat, about two feet off the ground. They had completed their first day of travel, and Cosmo Canyon was looking closer every second.

Much of the party was sleeping peacefully. Not Alcestis – Reno wouldn't let her. Alcestis rotated her shoulder – it had started popping again since the fall – and quietly told Reno to shut up.

"Why did you want to know? How are goosebumps special? What's it all about, yo?"

"Reno, hush."

"I want to know."

"You're not going to know, so get comfortable with that."

"There has to be significance to it besides you wanting me to like you, yo."

"Like I would care about whether or not you liked me."

"Kess, don't be coy with me, yo."

"I'm not being coy. Do you even know what that word means?"

"Yes I do and yes you are. Now come on Kess, spit it out, yo."

"No-"

"If you don't tell him I will, I swear to Holy, either you tell him or find some other way to shut him up, or I will sink my tusks into both of you." Nereid had been awakened from her nap and was none too pleased.

"See, Reno? Shut up."

"Not unless you tell me, yo."

"It means she's falling in love with you. Now shut _up_." Nereid snorted, laying her head back down. Alcestis leaned over.

"Traitor."

"Oh, shut up. Like he didn't already know."

Alcestis turned back to Reno, who looked annoyingly self-satisfied.

"I knew it all along, yo."

"You're so full of crap, Reno. Nereid just said that to shut you up."

Reno feigned hurt. "Aw, Kess, you don't really love me?"

"I didn't say that."

"So you do!"

"I didn't say that either! What makes you think you know one way or the other, hm?"

"Vincent mentioned it to me."

"That's a lie."

Vincent opened one eye sleepily. "Is not."

"You hush."

"How come everybody knows you're in love with me but me, yo?"

"Reno, will you shut up? _Please_? I am _not_ in love with your sorry scoundrel ass."

"But it's such a cute little ass."

"Reno, shut the hell up! I do not love you!"

Cyrene snorted.

"What? _What?!_" Alcestis demanded.

"Please. You two are so in love it's disgusting." Cyrene muttered, raising her chin.

"I've barely known him a month."

"Actually, it's closer to two months, yo."

"You hush."

"I only knew Lucrecia for a couple of weeks before I loved her." Vincent said quietly.

"My first love was at first sight." Cyrene commented.

"Two months is hardly unreasonable." Nereid said.

"Are all of you against me tonight?! Goddamn! Shut up!"

"I'm not even talking." She heard Reno's voice say. But it was not coming from Reno. She was confused until she opened her eyes, and realized she had dreamt the entire conversation. The plains were rushing past them, the stars twinkling overhead, and Reno was frowning at her, an arm draped over her shoulders to help him sit up with his torso as it was.

"What is it Alcestis? You were shouting 'goddamn, shut up' in your sleep, yo. Again."

"Reoccurring dream. It's nothing. Sorry if I woke you."

"Funny, yo. Like I can sleep properly in a hovercraft with my chest like this."

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Reno grinned with the air of someone about to engage in their favorite past time.

"So what were you asking me about the – what was it? – 'physical manifestations' for?"

"Didn't I just go through this?" Alcestis mumbled quietly to herself. _Remember, Alcestis. You don't love him anyway. Oh, hell yes you do. But you'd better not let _him_ know that_. "It was nothing, Reno. Just something bothering my magely senses again."

"Do you think I'm possessed?"

"By nothing but your own libidinousness."

"Was that a sneeze, yo?"

"You are possessed by nothing but your own – oh forget it, I'm not explaining it to you."

"It has to do with sex, doesn't it?"

Alcestis nodded.

"And why shouldn't I?" Alcestis let out a sigh of relief. She had gotten him onto another subject.

"Seriously, why shouldn't I be? Do you have any idea when the last time I had sex was? It's been over two months, yo!"

"Maybe you'll meet a nice femme nymphomaniac in Cosmo Canyon."

"Ha ha, like you'd let me do anything with her, yo."

She glared at him. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means that you want me, yo. You do. You totally do."

"Spare me."

"Even your familiar said so."

"I've had her around for like a week and a half. What does she know?"

"She knows when her mage is suffering from lust. She gets half the cost of your magic, remember? She is _more_ than aware of when you're having problems, yo."

"And I'm sure she takes the time to talk all this out with you."

Reno grinned. "You have no idea."

Alcestis glared at him, and at Nereid's sleeping figure.

"The fact of the matter is – you are totally in lust with me."

_Wrong L word, Reno. Well, maybe not that wrong…_ She sighed. "In your dreams, _turk_."

"Oh, so now I'm just a Turk, huh? Not your roomie? Not your savior, yo?"

"Yes, you are my savior. Thank you for leaping out after me. I would've been dead for sure if you hadn't. That was very brave of you, Reno. And rather self-sacrificing."

Reno felt goosebumps go up over his body at her almost-emotional tone. He softened. "I try. Ordinarily I wouldn't care, yo, but, you know, it being you and all…"

She leaned over on his shoulder. "I know you're just trying to suck more gratitude out of me. Shut up. I'm going back to sleep."

Reno chuckled a little, and pushed her long bangs behind her ears. "G'night, yo."


	28. In which there's a tribal ceremony

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to those of you who reviewed! Hooray!  
A warning! This story is about to get even more "non-canonical". The main villain has nothing to do with Jenova or Sephiroth, and I have taken some liberties with what magic can and cannot do. If that bothers you, turn back now! There is no escape, etc.

I'd also like to note that when I started writing this back in January (I think it was January) of 2006, I was writing it purely for my own entertainment. I'd never really intended it for an audience, and even then, not one outside my circle of friends. Posting it here later on was done kind of on a whim. I always thought of this as practice for developing characters and plot lines, which is why it contains so much original content as opposed to sticking strictly to more FFVII-related stuff. That's why one of the central characters is one of my own, why she is so important to the plot, and why she has relationships with canon characters from FFVII: because I wanted practice creating a character, and extrapolating their life and their attachments, and doing that in a world that has already been developed by someone else is a good place to start.

All my characters have a little piece of me inside them: Alcestis has my passion, Oedipus my impatience, so on and so forth. I wanted to practice giving characters dimension. Yetta has a cute exterior with toughness and leadership skills underneath, Cyrene is a thoughtful woman with a violent past, Nereid is wise with a penchant for the sardonic, and has been waiting for this all her life. I put a lot of thought into these people, and they're alive in my head.

I guess what I'm getting at is, when you read my story (that I have worked on, on and off, for almost four years, and am finally nearing its completion), try to judge it by its own merits or its lack thereof, rather than what you think fanfiction should be. Because, heads up, things are about to get _weird_.

* * *

Reno found himself being nudged in the knee to rouse him from sleep. He reached out absent-mindedly to pat the creature on the head. Finding it was not at all fuzzy like Zan, Reno jerked awake. Nereid gave him the gagighandi equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, yo."

"If you weren't my mage's mate, I would probably bite your foot off at the ankle." She said, rather deadpan. "We have arrived at Cosmo Canyon. Wake her."

"We've arrived already?" He could vaguely hear tribal music thumping. "Have we slept that long, yo?"

"You and Alcestis both, yes. Yetta slept for quite a while, too. Cyrene requested that we let you, all of you having been through quite a bit lately. We expect to get you fully healed now that we've arrived. There are probably a great many Trees of the Fallen Star here to fully correct your wounds. Now wake her."

"Why me? Why can't you do it, yo?"

"She likes it better when you do. Now wake her and let us proceed."

-~-*Å*-~-

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to pass." The man was very young, probably still in his teens, and shifted uncomfortably under Tseng's gaze.

"I don't think you understand." Tseng said, pulling out his gun. Vincent gripped his wrist, forcing him to keep his gun in hiding.

"My name is Vincent Valentine. I would like to visit my friend Nanaki."

Nereid perked.

"Nanaki? You know Nanaki?" the young man said. "Um… okay…"

And with much relief, the teenager stepped out of the way, allowing the group to pass.

Nanaki bounded downwards from the cliffs, leaping to land in front of the party.

"Vincent."

"Hello, Red."

"Why have you brought these… strangers – and our enemies – here to my home?"

"We need rest. Supplies. And healing." Vincent said. "I'm not sure I would be permitted to divulge anything about our quest, but I assure you that it is for the greater good."

"Is it for the Potestas Summon?"

"Somewhat."

"I understand. I have heard much about the goings-on over by Midgar. Cloud writes quite often, you know." He glanced back at the group. "Ah, Nereid, greetings. Your tribe hasn't visited here in a while. Why are you here?"

"I am this mage's familiar." Nereid said, stepping forward, Alcestis followed.

"A black mage, I assume."

"Only the best."

"Greetings, Mage."

"Good to meet you, Nanaki."

He nodded solemnly, surveying the party. "Five turks, a ShinRa assassin, a white mage… Hm… You, black mage. Are you infatuated?"

"Pardon?" Alcestis asked.

"Well, you've just got this flush in your cheeks, it looks almost permanent. I saw it on Aeris. She was never really a mage, but close to it… she was like that all the time, particularly whenever she looked at Cloud." Nanaki looked downwards for a minute. "Rest well, friend." He looked back up at his new guests. "You are welcome to stay in the observatory, pending you don't touch anything. If any of you ruin my grandfather's work… there will be consequences. Now, follow me."

-~-*Å*-~-

Cyrene applied a special healing salve to Yetta's remaining half-mended injuries. Alcestis slopped a good wealth of the ointment onto Reno, eliciting a sharp intake of breath.

"That crap is _cold_." He muttered.

"Quit your whining."

"So why'd you volunteer to put my ointment on, huh?"

"Shut up."

"Anything to get my shirt off, yo."

"Reno, you are an asshole."

"But I'm good at it."

"That's not the point." Alcestis wiped off the excess ointment, and ran her fingers over the new skin on his back, the flesh a light pink.

"Hey, that tickles, yo."

"Good as new." She said. "Now put your clothes back on, you heathen." Alcestis wiped her hands off, and exited, summoning her staff to her hand. Reno was next to certain that she was heading to the giant bonfire on the ground level. Evidently there was some kind of Festival going on.

"Don't take it seriously. She likes you." Yetta said, raising her arm experimentally.

"What makes you say that, yo."

"The way she looks at you." Cyrene responded before Yetta could. Yetta nodded. "Women read other women very easily. Now, if you don't mind, I think I am going to go witness the festivities on the ground. It has been some time since I witnessed a festival in Cosmo Canyon. They are always very exciting."

Yetta nodded. "What are they celebrating?"

"This time of year, my guess would be the Summer Solstice. Are you coming?" Both women looked expectantly at Reno as he buttoned up his shirt.

"I suppose so, yo."

They pushed him out the door, and the three of them bungled down to the bonfire.

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis had been surprised to find Nereid joining in the tribal dance around the ever-growing fire. Apparently, Nereid knew all of the steps, as she danced next to Nanaki and other various creatures with ease. The sky was in a perpetual state of sunset – or was it sunrise? – such that made everything appear red. The dance was graceful, yet raw and energetic. Such was fitting for a celebration such as this one.

There was one group of musicians pumping out hard tunes, the drummers beating particularly hard with their hands or carefully refined sticks. There were drinks available, none of which seemed to be alcoholic but seemed to be pushing the attendees into a state of euphoria, and she realized that it was probable that it was various fruit juices combined with sap from the Tree of the Fallen Star.

Yetta emerged from the crowd to stand next to Alcestis, wearing what looked like a classic tribal outfit that was almost modest. "You look dreadful, you know."

"What are you talking about?"

"We are special guests now, since we're out to save the world. Nanaki has asked that we join the ceremony in a few moments, and you're dressed like you just came out of Midgar." Yetta said with disgust. "The only thing tribal about you right now are those craploads of piercings-"

"A Gongagan symbol of beauty and strength."

"-And those bunch of little shiny anklets around your right ankle."

"A Gongagan symbol of intelligence and magical comprehension."

"Whatever! I don't care where it came from. But if we're expected to participate in a ceremony honoring us, you had better not look like a schmuck." Yetta grabbed her wrist and led her off. Alcestis sighed. She could sense that she was not going to come out of this fully-clothed to her satisfaction.

-~-*Å*-~-

She had been more than right. She was wearing some kind of little… _thing_. A scrap of animal skin which had ties behind her neck and behind her shoulder blades as well as a tiny little animal skin skirt which was far smaller than Alcestis felt comfortable wearing. She also had all kinds of tribal jewelry on – things that made noises every time she moved.

"Yetta, if I move at all, the entire world is going to see my panties."

"They're black and lacy. You have good taste. No one is going to care."

"I do!" Alcestis hissed sulkily. "Do I get to keep my staff, at the very least?"

"I suppose." Yetta said, handing it to her. "But you'll be expected to take part in a dance ritual."

"How come they tell you all this and not me?"

"It's only the women."

"What?"

"It's only the women." Cyrene said, stepping into the tiny dressing room wearing a similar outfit, her white glove sticking out from the rest of the costume. "It is women who dance. The men just have to drink and make speeches."

Elena followed, looking every bit as sulky as Alcestis, and also in a similar outfit. "I feel like a savage."

"That's because you are a savage, Elena. This represents your personality much better than that Turk suit, which you probably don't deserve to wear." Cyrene said, chiding. Alcestis stifled a smile. She was beginning to like Cyrene. Elena glared at her feet. "Don't tell me what I do or don't deserve," she muttered to no one in particular.

Nereid stepped in, wearing a seraph comb, similar to one of Nanaki's. "We are expected in a few moments." She blinked. "I must say, my mage, I did not expect you to participate. Let's hope you're capable of dancing well."

Alcestis glared at the gagighandi's retreating hindquarters. Cyrene pulled at the back of her glove, and announced "It is time to proceed."

They stepped out to the festivities around the fire, and much of the activity stopped to observe their arrival. She could hear, and, from the corner of her eye, see Reno cat-calling at them. Tseng elbowed him hard in the stomach. Alcestis smirked.

She was relieved to find that they were in a group of twenty or so other women and femme beasts. She hoped that this meant that if she tripped and fell the others would trample her before she had to take the embarrassment of having done so.

But as she began to move, she found her movements strangely _guided_ somehow, as though she just _knew_. Her body was moving completely of its own accord. She felt as though she were in a trance, which unnerved her somewhat; she would much rather be in control of what was going on. However, she could not stop if she tried – it was as though the music was driving her. Perhaps there was some kind of magic of work. Whatever it was, she ultimately decided she didn't mind. Her movements were graceful yet heavy-footed, deliberate yet rough. She was doing it well.

The dance had ended before she realized it, and her body stopped on its own. She stood with her best posture, not wanting to appear a fool. Next to her, Yetta slouched – evidently they had danced longer than she had realized; Yetta, who was in reasonably good shape, was breathing a little heavy. On her other side, Cyrene was quiet, unmoving, and appearing as foreboding as ever. She found Reno out in the crowd, who gave her a thumbs-up, a big grin, and waggled an eyebrow suggestively. To her chagrin, she found herself blushing. Nanaki began to speak somewhat sheepishly.

"This last ceremonial dance was in honor of a band of travelers that many of you have noted as having appeared in the last day or so. They are off to stop the Knight Ajax from reaching the Potestas Summon. Wish them good fortune."

The crowd cheered wildly. Alcestis leaned towards Cyrene, whispering. "Knight Ajax?"

"Apparently the people here know more about it than we do. I thought that it was a Gongagan myth, but it may have originated from here. They say people who established Gongaga emigrated from this area."

"That would explain quite a bit. We will need to speak with Nanaki, I think." Alcestis nodded to her.

Nanaki nodded his head at the group, and they left the stage, allowing the group of trained dancers to continue with their own performances. Alcestis suddenly felt as though she was being spun swiftly, though her vision was steady. At the same time she was completely disoriented, her eyes crossing, her arms flailing of their own accord as she stumbled this way and that; suddenly, her mind was invaded: images flashed through her mind as though they were memories, but they were things that she could not recall ever having seen before. In the midst of it, she kept seeing all kinds of spells being cast, ones that she could not determine what they were. They must've been powerful, though, they were knocking a tall, strong man off of his steed, off of his feet, finally to turn to red balls and sink into the ground.

She noticed that the man was wearing dark blue armor before she collapsed, unconscious.

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis stirred, and clutched her thumping temples.

"No! Don't!"

Alcestis took her hand away from her head and widened her eyes.

"Reno? What… what the…"

"They said not to let you touch your head, yo. They didn't say why, they just said not to."

"What… what the hell… happened?"

"I don't know. One minute I was walking towards you, getting ready to make a comment on your little outfit," he smirked, "the next minute your eyes glaze over and you hit the ground, yo."

"How… long?"

"It's only been about an hour. The festival is still thumping away out there, yo."

She could vaguely hear the sound of drums. Yes, it was still going strong, and probably would be deep into the night.

"I had… I don't even know… I saw things…"

"Just relax, yo. Oh, and drink this. Nanaki suggested you drink this, yo."

"If it's Cosmo Tree serum, I don't want any. I don't need it."

"Look, I'm not going to pretend I understand any of this psychological magic shit, but they said it was a magical wound, and that if you don't drink this, it's going to harm you permanently. As in your brain is going to friggin' hemorrhage. I don't want that to happen, yo, and I'm thinking you don't either. So drink."

Alcestis took a sip of the substance. It was thick, like syrup, and tasted rather like a citrus star-fruit she had eaten in Costa Del Sol. She had trouble swallowing it. "It's not bad." She muttered, and downed the rest of it as quickly as she could get it to crawl down the sides of the glass.

She set the glass down, and was almost surprised to watch Reno fill it again.

"Oh, Reno, no-"

"I will not have you hemorrhaging, yo." He said, pushing the glass on her. She sighed.

"So… what kinds of things did you see?"

"Well… it was like I was witnessing them the way you would relive a memory in your mind's eye. They felt familiar somehow, but I know I've never seen them before. It was like I was reliving something that I've never lived before. I don't… I don't know…"

"Well… what did you see?"

"There was… some kind of young woman… she looked like… I don't even know… but the way she was dressed, she looked a bit like a witch."

"A witch? You mean a mage?"

"No, I mean a witch. The Witches were an old tribe. They were the people that spoke to the Lifestream before the Cetra ever arrived."

"How do you know that, yo?"

"I don't know. I just… _do_." She shook her head, blinking. "And I certainly didn't know that an hour ago."

"So how do you know what a witch looks like?"

"I don't know, but it looked like she was covered in piercings… One in her nose, all up the sides of her ears, and she was covered in jewelry besides. She had these really beautiful anklets… I don't know. Anyway, she was… battling with someone. A man. On some kind of equine. In dark armor. She was using spells to knock him down, to defeat him, but I couldn't identify them, I just _don't know_ what they were…" Alcestis seemed aggravated. Reno frowned.

"You said _memories_. That means you saw more than one, right?"

"Yes, yes… the witch, she was battling someone else, and she had a staff made of bone… bit creepy, really. And I saw her chasing someone… and running from someone… they were sketchy moments…"Alcestis rubbed her forehead, squinting as though it would help her to see the thoughts better. "And I saw her as a child, running through what looked like Cosmo Canyon, but it might easily have been somewhere else. I can't tell. There was something else… she was moving strangely…"

"Casting a spell through dance, I am sure." Nereid said, trotting into the room. "I spoke with Nanaki. He said that he was about to comment that you danced remarkably well until you fainted, my dear."

"What makes you think… a spell?"

"Well, the dance you were doing was rather similar to that of everyone else's, but there were key differences. You were casting a spell. Tell me, how is it that you knew such a dance?"

"I… I don't know. I felt like I was…"

"Being guided?"

"Yes."

"It is altogether possible that you were possessed."

Reno's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse you, yo?"

"Alcestis was possessed." Nereid said matter-of-factly. "Most probably for the purpose of receiving the memories you just described. They sound familiar to me, but I just can't place them…" The gagighandi stared off into space, her thoughts trailing.

"What do you mean, possessed?" Alcestis asked. Reno's mouth was hanging open. Apparently he couldn't believe it, either.

"She was guiding your movements. Such things have been known to occur in Cosmo Canyon during equinoxes and solstices, I'm afraid. That is when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest."

"But why would she possess _me_?"

"It may be just because she didn't want to watch your hideous dancing from the beyond," Alcestis bristled as Nereid continued, "but I am personally of the belief that it has something to do with the quest we are on now. Whoever it was is trying to help you. So she gave you a dose of her memories."

Alcestis blinked. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I've never heard such crazy crap in my life, yo."

"Oh, get used to it. I get the feeling that it's going to be the norm pretty soon. Oh, and tell me, my mage, have you ever had a vision?"

"I – yes." Alcestis said, surprised.

"Have you ever taken the time to develop the skill necessary for such visions?"

Alcestis rubbed the back of her neck, her lips quirking. "Not that I'm aware of, no."

"Strange…"

"And how do you know all of this, Nereid?"

"Well, my purpose in life was to be familiar to a black mage, so I took the time to familiarize myself with all kinds of magic before I was summoned." Nereid said airily, her snout raised high in the air. "And by the way, I am very proud that you are my mage. Very few people can receive memories from the dead and live, much less come through in one piece, you know."

"Hold on, slow the hell down for a minute, yo." Reno said, looking between them. "Are you saying some dead chick is inside Alcestis?"

"No. Chances are that this 'dead chick', is attempting to assist Alcestis by trying to influence her."

"How can you influence someone from the lifestream without being in their head?"

"Ignorant savage." Nereid muttered under her breath. "The bonds of magic are just as strong between the living and the dead as they are between the living and the living. It it just as easy for a dead mage to cast a spell over a living person as it was when they were alive. Communication is not an issue, quite honestly."

"Then why did that – whatever it was – harm me?"

"The instantaneous transfer of memories is, shall we say, magically prohibited between the living and the dead. The two of you more or less violated a basic principle of magic in doing so."

"What do you mean, the two of you? I didn't do a damn thing." Alcestis said, her eyebrows drawn together.

"The subject receiving the memories has to be willing. And the dance you were doing was opening your mind for it. You wanted to know more about what is going on here. I believe that those memories were intended to help you. The spell she was using in particular, I think. Tell me, did you see what spell she was casting?"

"Well, yes."

"And?"

Alcestis sighed, and shook her head. "Well, I couldn't really tell what it was."

"Excellent. We have _seen_ a spell that is probably essential to our quest, but have no idea what it actually is. How pleasant." Nereid pawed at her face for a moment, the way a human would put a hand to their head. "Fine. I no longer care to discuss this. I feel it is of the utmost urgency that we reach the library as soon as possible. The other memories you received… perhaps those are to help us identify who the woman was. I believe that that is key. Perhaps something in the library will yield the information necessary for this task." Nereid turned and left the room, trotting idly, barking at Tseng to round up the party.

Alcestis looked over at Reno, and realized that he appeared… _frightened_. She had never seen him that way before.

"Reno… what… what is it?" She asked.

"You've… you're going to be okay, right?"

"I'm fine, Reno. I just have some new knowledge that may help us get through this alive."

"But… the way she talked, she made it sound like you weren't just helping… she made it sound like you were the spearhead here, yo."

"Black Magic seems to be essential here. I might have to be the spearhead."

Reno, in an uncharacteristic move, leaned over, and gently wrapped his arms around Alcestis. She could feel him shaking a little with his head buried in her neck. _He's freaked out by all this magical stuff. It's something he's not capable of understanding_, she realized. He spoke. "We are going to find out what we need to do, kill the whoever, and go home. Is that okay, yo?"

She patted him on the back weakly. "Better than okay. I'd prefer it that way."

"Good. Me too, yo."

She pushed him back a little, and put a hand on the side of his face. "Don't worry, Reno. All we have to do is save the world. I guess I got my wish, huh? The one where I wanted to help everyone in the world all at once?"

Reno gave a small smile, a trace of his old self returning. "Yeah, you got your wish, yo. Stupid wish, though." He helped her up, and gave her a lecherous grin. "Nice outfit, yo. Keep it, will you? I think I'd like to see you in it again sometime."

"Reno, when I was unconscious, did you…?"

"What, yo?"

"…peek?"

"Black and lacy, yo."

"Heathen," she muttered. "I can't believe you."

Reno gently pushed her back on the little cot, and, leaning over her, whispered in her ear. "Believe it, babe. I'll have those black and lacies off you soon enough."

She shuddered for a moment. Damn him, he was good at what he did. She took a deep breath, collected herself and snorted. "In your dreams." She said, pushing him away and sitting up. "Let's get our crap together and get going, shall we?"

* * *

**Another Author's Note:** Remember waaaaaaay back in Chapter 9, when Alcestis was thinking about how mages used to cast spells through dance? That was a light foreshadowing for this. :) Review please?


	29. In which an ancient story is told

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to those of you who reviewed! Hooray!  
Remember when I said things were going to weird? They're going to get even weirder. This chapter is long. Plot development go!

* * *

Alcestis had been surprised to find that the path to the forest was, in fact, through Cosmo Canyon. Apparently, so had Cyrene… as when they arrived at the edge of the forest, she frowned slightly and muttered "This looks… different."

"So what if it looks different? You can still get us there… right?" Elena said.

"Yeah… not so much."

"What do you mean, 'not so much'?" Tseng asked, tense.

"Well… I'm trying to utilize my 'perfect' memory, but… things don't look the same. It doesn't match up. I know its general location in the forest, but…"

"But what?"

"The forest is a maze. If the paths have changed… I'm not sure I can get us there. We might have to make our own path."

"What's so hard about that, yo? Just hack it down."

"What is so hard about that, Reno, is that you can't just hack it down. Or else the carnivorous plants will eat you alive."

"Carnivorous plants? This is just getting better all the time." Oedipus muttered sarcastically.

Alcestis gripped her staff so hard her knuckles turned white. Reno put a hand on her shoulder, squeezed it gently. Nereid nudged her behind the knee, and spoke.

"We need to get moving. The sooner we figure out how your experience and the situation is connected, the sooner we figure out how to defeat the madman, the sooner we can all go home and forget this ever happened."

"You say that as though you're certain we'll survive." Rude remarked very quietly.

"We must. We have no choice but to live and accomplish our goal. The other option is… not worth thinking about." Vincent said, blinking his eyes slowly.

Alcestis cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck with a satisfying _pop_!

"Let's do this."

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis slashed the plant at its stalk, fire engulfing it. It let out an almost human scream as it turned to ashes.

"Number twelve." She muttered as she stepped over the pile. Reno's eyebrows went up and he exchanged a look with Rude that very clearly said "Holy crap."

Ever since they had stepped into the forest, Alcestis had taken the lead with Cyrene hot on her heels. Kess had been filled with a fervor that put them at an almost running pace, brutally eliminating any obstacle that came into their path. When a split or a corner came in the maze, Alcestis would stop and ask Cyrene which way to go. Cyrene would give her recommendation, and if it was to take an available path, they would charge off. If it was to bring down the foliage blocking their path, Alcestis would do so with fiery efficiency and they would continue, with Kess snapping at the group to keep up. Tseng, Elena and Yetta were bringing up the rear, keeping an eye out for any treacherous creatures. Alcestis barreled through the forest, her jaw set, her eyes narrowed: determined.

Finally they came upon a hewn stone wall, strange symbols covering its surface. Alcestis looked at the wall almost angrily.

"I cannot read them." She said.

"I believe I can. Most of it, anyway… some of it is too worn to make out." Cyrene's hands drifted over the wall casually. "This part says… 'a beacon of knowledge… the key to survival.' And this part reads 'Knowledge both ancient and new stored behind these walls.' And this whole section is completely illegible, but this part at the bottom says…" Her eyebrows knit together. "'Prove your worthiness.'"

Alcestis tapped the wall with the knob of her staff. She raised her voice slightly. "Worthiness is irrelevant! Fate or circumstance or _something_ has appointed me and my companions to stop a madman from millennia ago. We seek the secret of the Potestas Summon! I have been _possessed_ by spirits deceased who endeavor to assist me! You will bring your wall down or I will _take it down!_"

The wall began to glow, the hieroglyphs to shift, to rearrange. New letters formed.

"What does it say?"

Cyrene bit her lip. "It says… 'then take it down'."

Alcestis' eyes narrowed. "Fine then. I shall."

Reno put his arms out, and pushed everyone behind him, backing up. "I don't think this is gonna be pretty, yo."

The ball of Alcestis' staff began to glow, and she focused it towards the wall. A light shot out towards the wall, forcing it continually inward. The stone began to change, to warp in a strange manner. She thrust out her other hand alongside her staff. The light began to pulsate, to take shape. The wall stretched further and further, but would not yield. In fact, it began to fight back, producing its own light, pushing outwards.

Cyrene raised her scepter but Nereid butted her leg. "No! Alcestis must do this on her own."

Suddenly, Alcestis began to scream with rage. Her eyes lit up, cycling through all the colors of the rainbow.

"Sweet Lifestream, is she doing what I think she's doing?!" Cyrene gasped.

Nereid butted her backwards, pushing them all away. "Yes. Now all of you, back!"

"Is that a… an offensive magic?" Yetta asked, her mouth gaping.

"Yes." Vincent said, his eyes wide.

The light began to explode outwards, in a rainbow of shooting stars that became bombs as they pummeled the wall. Through the center, a bright beam of light, as though projected through a prism, pressed forward, with the appearance of mako clashing with simple stone. It became brighter, and brighter… until they could no longer bear to look. It was freakishly bright and piercing, burning through their eyelids, until…

There was a thunderous crash as the wall collapsed. Some of the chunks moved, as though trying to rebuild itself, but could not. Alcestis turned to her companions.

"We may enter now." She said calmly, composed.

"So… somebody reached their limit." Yetta said, laughing nervously. The rest looked frightened.

"What?" She asked casually. "It was a limit break. It worked, didn't it?"

"Alcestis, my mage." Nereid said very seriously. "Have you ever used that before?"

"I…" She paused. "Well, no. Typically, I use Catastrophe."

"And do you know what that one was called?"

"Whatever the next step up is, I guess."

"It's called 'Havoc'. No mage has in the past six-hundred years has utilized it." Nereid said.

"I've only ever read about it." Cyrene said.

"The last one who could was a Witch of the Fallen Star." Nereid said quietly. "I believe that these things are connected. Let us continue, and learn more. And do try to ignore the price of using that magic, dear." Nereid said, trotting in.

Alcestis glared after her. "I'm not incompetent." Alcestis muttered, following her.

"You do remember the other half of the cost of using that line of limits, do you not?" Nereid said quietly, padding down the dark tunnel. Reno listened intently for Alcestis' response.

"Yes. It will reduce the effectiveness of my immune system substantially for some time and cause fatigue proportional to the amount of power behind the spell." She replied, her words already slurring with exhaustion.

"Exactly. So you would do well not to touch anything for fear of getting sick, and make sure that your mate is with you to catch you when you fall asleep on your feet."

"He is _not_ my mate." She said emphatically, though slowly, blinking heavily.

"Just give it time, yo." Reno said, chuckling confidently. She glared at him, though he could not see it in the dark, stone tunnel.

"Can we get some light in here?" Tseng muttered.

"No." Cyrene replied. "The magic of this place is specifically designed so that we have to take the path in darkness. Even if you were to light a match it would instantly go out."

"Great." Elena muttered, stumbling idly, keeping her hand on the wall.

Reno kept an arm around Alcestis' waist. "You're not actually going to get sick, right? I mean, is all that stuff true?"

"Yes."

"Why would magic do that to the people who use it, yo?"

"Because magic is a planetary force. Its power was not really meant to be harnessed by humans. The very same thing happens to the planet as it stores magic within its bowels, but being so large and supported by the lifestream, it survives." Alcestis sneezed.

"I suspected that might happen. The library has taken its own little revenge on you for tearing down that wall, dear. You've become infected." Nereid said plainly, leading the way.

"I think I see a light up ahead-ahCHOO!"

"Don't rush, Kess. We'll get there soon enough, yo." Reno said, holding onto her as her walking became continually less stable.

In silence the group continued until they made it to the light, and stepped into the main of the library.

The room itself was rather large, with glyphs covering the walls, occasionally glowing or pulsating with a blue-green light. Through the air floated miniscule balls of light, darting this way and that, starting from the ceiling and drifting side to side all the way down to the floor.

The ceiling was high and covered in glowing pictures of the Planet's forgotten history. Mages battled with knights and monsters, Ancients fled the sight of Jenova, Monsters rose from the sea… there were many images, but the one centered at the dome was the image of a man kneeling before a beautiful woman who was turning her head away. He held in his hands a small, glowing ball, and looked deeply forlorn, his head bowed, his eyes closed. His hair was dark, his build strong. Behind him, some ways off, was a young, dark-skinned woman, barely out of her teens, with a bone staff and a solemn, contemplative look.

"This must be a shifting ceiling." Cyrene said, holding her scepter up, gesturing to the images. "The center picture represents what pertains most to the world now."

"The myth said that the Knight loved a woman who would not have him, so he sought power to win her over. Might that be him?" Alcestis said, her voice breaking into a cough.

"But he looks so mournful, so rejected. He doesn't look like a crazed warrior." Yetta said, her voice sounding almost childlike.

"All is fair in love and war. He learned one from the other." Cyrene said.

"Holy shit, yo." Reno muttered, examining the images.

"That looks like the woman from my vision." Alcestis said, peering at the woman in the background. Reno grabbed her arm and slung it over his shoulders as she started to fall.

Turning her attention from the ceiling, Alcestis focused on the rest of the library. There were several beacons of light, small dishes holding flames, mounted on the walls, and things written in a script she did not recognize surrounding them. There were no shelves, no books… but a great many crates and boxes stuffed to the brim with parchment.

Rude poked one of the bins, and several layers of dust flew off. "How are we ever going to find what we're looking for?" He asked quietly.

"We had better start looking." Oedipus said dryly. "It's going to take us a century to sort through all of this."

"That doesn't make sense, though." Cyrene said. "Every library has a system, a way of accessing the information you want. I distinctly remember the archaeologist I went on the expedition with stating that we would need to think outside the box to access it."

"It responded when Alcestis spoke to it outside." Vincent remarked. "Perhaps doing so once more?"

Alcestis cleared her throat, and spoke in a froggy tone. "We seek the complete myth of the Potestas Summon." She said. "We are trying to combat the menace who seeks to dominate the Planet. He is moving now, as I'm sure you know." She broke into a fit of deep, wracking coughs, and clutched her staff for support. "We need assistance."

A strange coalescence of light and shadow writhed before them, and a booming voice shook the cavern. "Why should I assist you?"

"Screw this, yo." Reno muttered. "Because we need to take out some kind of whackjob before he screws up the planet so I can go home and sleep."

"What is a 'whackjob'?"

"Fool. You know why we are here." Cyrene said, chastising. "Do not waste our time with your idle ponderings."

"I shall do what I would like."

"And I shall set every scroll in here on _fire_. How does that sound?" Alcestis said, grinding her teeth together.

"You are welcome to try."

"Don't even _tempt_ me, bitch." Alcestis shouted, gesturing wildly with her staff as Reno held her up. "I have not got the patience required to put up with this crap! Our intentions are good, and our goal is noble. Either you tell us what we want to know or the world ends. Are you capable of understanding that?!"

"You will have to prove this to me."

Alcestis sighed. "I was possessed at a Festival in the Valley of the Fallen Star. I was given memories. The memories of someone no longer living."

"Surely you jest."

"Do I look like I'm jesting? Do I look like have the time or the inclination for _jesting?!_" Alcestis shouted angrily.

"I suppose not." The voice was still booming, but less overwhelming; instead, it took on the tones of a deep, feminine voice. The light and shadow writhed in itself for a moment before morphing grotesquely into a person. Or rather, a half of a person – they could see right through her, as though she was there, but not all there. She was transparent, a ghostly visage of someone who once was. She wore a thick gown with many folds and tattered edges, and several earrings. Her ghostly hair was in dreadlocks, her nose wide and her lips pursed.

"What in the hell is that, yo?"

"Not now, Reno." Alcestis hissed back.

"My name is Clio." The coalescence-turned-being said, her voice deep, ringing. "I am the keeper of knowledge. You seek no myth. You seek history." She waved a hand, and on the ceiling, the figures began to move. The man turned his face up, his eyes shining, his mouth moving as though begging. The beautiful woman blinked and continued to ignore him, and the woman behind them observed them with dismay.

"Ajax was a lonely man. An intelligent man, but a lonely one." Clio began, her heavy-lidded eyes blinking slowly. "He fell in love with the daughter of the king he worked for. He was a man of knowledge, but of little power. A philosopher, largely, not a warrior.

"Narcissa, the King's Daughter, was an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She was also rather heartless. She would not love Ajax for his intelligence, or his kindness. To her, such things were weakness. She was thoroughly disinterested in anything involving intellect. She had power as the King's Daughter, but wished for something more. To Ajax, she was the world. To her, he was nothing. He had to become the world: _give her the world_. And she told him so.

"Ajax went on a quest to obtain power. He did not, however, for all his intelligence, know where to begin. But he knew knowledge was power. And he knew magic was power. So he decided to seek knowledge of magic."

"Makes sense." Cyrene muttered, her eyes reading something not really there. Her eyes were glazed, more memories were flooding to the surface of her mind.

"Indeed." Clio said. She waved her hand again, and the scene changed. Ajax stood in the canyon they had just been resting in hours ago. "He sought a clan known as the Witches of the Fallen Star. The Witches, however, were not to be trifled with, and certainly not intruded upon. They did not welcome him. They made many efforts to drive him away from the Canyon, but he was persistent. Once he was broken and bleeding, they allowed him in." The scene shifted once more. They were still in the Canyon, but Ajax was now lying on the ground. A woman with a bone staff stood over him, her hand hovering over his forehead.

"Pandia was a wise young Witch. She was a Seer, a rarity among the brood. She was known for being extraordinarily giving: she never used her magic for a selfish reason, not once in her entire lifetime. She was an orphan who sought only to ease the pains of others, hence why she healed the intruder of her home."

Clio waved her entire arm, her hand in a fist. The scene changed once more. Pandia and Ajax were sitting next to a large, very familiar-looking fire, with many other young women who were dressed very tribally.

"Ajax became friends with the Witches. Every day for a year he worked in their Canyon as a servant, and every day for a year he begged them for some way of obtaining magical power without having to learn magic. They all knew, of course… it was a magic discovered by their ancestors, intended for use only when the world seemed on the edge of disaster. The lifestream had multiple powers, the precursor to what are now called Materia, of this nature. Of course, today's materia is made in a very different way, as a by-product of mako reactors, but the basics are the same. The ancestors of the Witches discovered and studied many of the Planet's oldest Materia…The Black Materia, which would end all life, the White Materia, intended to prevent the end… the Witches even managed to seal some of the Bahamut monstrosities inside a few… but this one, the one Ajax sought, had the power to quite literally put the world at the fingertips of the user."

Clio's eyebrow twitched, and she blinked slowly. The scene changed again, a whirl of color. Ajax was a dot on the horizon of the canyon. Pandia was reprimanding and threatening a younger woman with her bone staff. The younger woman was on her back, her arms protectively above her head.

"A young Witch by the name of Lucrecia fell in love with Ajax during his time there. By this time, the scene you see now, however, Ajax had forgotten all about love – all he knew was that he was concerned with power. He encouraged her, led her on… and hence coaxed out the secret which the rest had so desperately tried to keep hidden. Pandia made an effort to chase down the traitor, but he escaped, already too far ahead. Pandia returned to imprison Lucrecia, and went on a quest of her own to hunt down Knight Ajax."

"That name is a bad omen." Vincent muttered quietly.

Clio seemed to glare at the ceiling, her nostrils flaring. The scene shifted. Ajax, in dark blue armor, broke down the wall of an underground chamber. He stepped in, grasping a glowing ball of light from a pedestal. Pandia stepped in behind him, her eyes narrowed, and her mouth moved, apparently speaking.

"Ajax ultimately found one of the Ultimate Powers. The Potestas Summon. He did not know that Pandia had been in hot pursuit of him throughout the chambers. She did not know that he knew how to use the Summon."

The scene continued. The materia glowed brightly, to the point that the entire scene was white. When it faded out, Pandia was on the ground, clutching her nose which was bleeding profusely. Her dark-skin was in surprising contrast with her dark green eyes and high cheek bones, and the look of anger on her face was one of virtuous vengeance. She stood, snarling, and ran from the chamber. Reno stirred a moment, thinking, but silenced the thought.

"Ajax returned to his love, his dear Narcissa."

The initial scene returned, showing Pandia standing in the background as Ajax kneeled before Narcissa. The beautiful woman turned her head away.

"Narcissa was not impressed by a glowing orb. Not after his two year absence. He had even fought a war with the neighboring continent, and gained control over it. Narcissa was aware of this, but stated that she was disinterested in a conqueror. Felt it was too barbaric. Ajax found his love lost, abruptly."

Ajax in the scene above stood, his dark eyes whirling into a deep red. He was several inches taller than Narcissa, whose light blue eyes turned to surprise and fear as he towered over her, his hand held out to her. She shook her head, fearful. He held his hand back, and the orb glowed brightly once more, obscuring the scene. When the light faded, Narcissa was on the ground, her eyes rolled up in her head. Clearly, she was dead. He turned and found Pandia awaiting him, standing staunchly. His face became twisted maniacally, his eyes filled with great rage.

"The Summon poisoned him, as it was meant to. Any object of such power will ultimately poison the user, particularly if they were never trained to use the object, and use it for all the wrong reasons. His sanity, his great intellect… it was lost to the Lifestream. He attacked Pandia."

The scene grew bright once more, and when the light faded, Ajax was on the ground, surprised, the Summon gone from view, and Pandia was holding her bone staff as high above her head as she could manage.

"But she was prepared this time, not taken unawares." The scene faded to its initial state, a young man kneeling before his love, a Witch in the background. "Needless to say, they had a great many battles. Pandia pursued him ruthlessly before finally bringing him to an end through the use of the only ultimate power capable of defeating anyone poisoned by or in possession of the Potestas Summon."

"What? What is it?" Alcestis asked eagerly.

Clio turned her head towards Alcestis. "No one knows for certain. No one knows the location of the kingdom where Narcissa lived, for surely the Summon is still residing there. No one knows the power that Pandia used to defeat Ajax. All that is known is that it is rumored that late at night, in the forest nearest Nibelheim, if you are unfortunate enough to see a flash of rose-colored light, you may catch a glimpse of a half a man in dark blue armor. That is all that is known of what happened to Ajax. A man haunting a forgotten forest."

"If he is a half a man, you have to be a half a woman, right?" Yetta asked, her voice shaking a little. She was nervous.

"Not precisely. I am one of the few who is capable of keeping my consciousness my own in the Lifestream. Of us, it was determined that I be the Keeper of lost knowledge. I am a mere spirit, a ghost. I can affect things physically, and if I truly wanted to bring myself back to life, I could, for a time."

"Can the Ancients do that?"

"Do what?"

"Bring themselves back."

Clio nodded, slowly. "Yes, they have done it before. Someone who joined us in recent years visits the Planet often to watch over her loved ones." Clio turned her head, as though listening. "Dear mage, you who used your powers on my walls. What is your name?"

"I-what?" Alcestis asked.

"Your name, child."

"My mage's name is Alcestis Mirro." Nereid spoke up.

Clio nodded. "You will be relieved to know that there are five watching over you from the beyond."

Alcestis' eyes glazed over with a film of tears. "I… " she could not bring herself to form a sentence. Reno put a hand on her back.

"They understand, child. Do not worry."

"But, five? I only knew of four… My siblings and my parents."

"The fifth is the one who gave you her memories."

"Pandia?"

"Yes." Clio stopped for a moment, and smiled.

"I… tell them… that I… I…" Alcestis felt a tear drift down her cheek. "I… miss them. And love them very dearly."

"I'm afraid I can't, not directly. Communication between the living and the dead isn't supposed to happen, strictly speaking. But they know, child. They are watching over for you."

"I – thank you. Thank you so much."

"It is an honor."

"Wait, wait, wait… holdup." Tseng said, massaging his temples. This crap was just too weird for him. "Back up for a second. When you say he's a half a man, what do you mean?"

"I mean he's not entirely dead. He looks ghostly, as I do, but he's not the dead visiting. He is simply not entirely dead. Pandia defeated him, stripped him of his powers… but she forgot a key fact. She is ashamed of this, and you should not think less of her for it. But she forgot that anyone poisoned by an Ultimate Power cannot die… can never be at peace. They must be purified first. He has been roaming restlessly for centuries. And now, it seems, he has manifested himself in a way that will allow him to continue his quest for power. He is searching for the Potestas Summon once more."

"But you said that the Summon is still in Narcissa's Kingdom." Elena pointed out. "Why wouldn't he just go there?"

"It is possible that he has, and already has it. It is also possible that he has been there, and it had vanished. It is possible that he requires resources to scar the Earth there to find it. And it is possible, most likely of all possibilities, I believe, that he simply does not remember the location of Narcissa's kingdom. After centuries of being not entirely alive nor entirely dead his mind has degraded. At this point in time, anything left of her kingdom has most likely eroded into nothing, so there would be no sign of it. He does not know what to look for. This is why he attacks those with resources. This is why he sieges Midgar. Why he harasses ShinRa company. Why he is now plaguing Wutai. He requires resources to turn this Planet inside out to find his power, his poison, his new love."

"Wutai? He's after Wutai, as well?" Oedipus asked.

Clio narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. "Yes, abomination of life. Yes, he is."

Oedipus snorted. "What makes me an abomination, exactly?"

"You cannot die, you forget your sins so easily, hence you are unable to live with the guilt of the things you have done. We have records on you, you scum. You, as well." Clio said, turning her eyes to Cyrene. "But you have repented your atrocities. This man… he is darkness dressed as a man."

Oedipus snorted.

"I would like to know why all of you travel with this mage. She has no choice: this is something she must do. Surely you know that this quest, though necessary, is a death sentence." Clio said, looking over the group. "Why do you choose to follow her?"

"We're getting paid." The Turks chorused.

"I was… asked to." Oedipus said quietly.

"It was a fear of my love's that this might happen. I assist for her." Vincent said quietly.

"I have been here before, in a way." Cyrene murmured. "But we could not get inside. Furthermore, I seek to atone for my sins. I want to help people. This is the best way."

"I am this mage's familiar. It is my duty to protect her in perilous times." Nereid said quietly.

"She is a friend." Rude said thoughtfully.

"She is… important to me." Reno muttered.

Clio frowned at him, and then her eyebrows rose in realization. "Important to you. Nevertheless, you are here." The party shifted uncomfortably. Reno felt his cheeks burn a little.

"Perceptive." Nereid murmured.

"And you," Clio said, focusing her eyes on Alcestis. "Do you understand why you were chosen for this task?"

Alcestis shook her head. "No, not really. I thought that this was something I did on my own. I don't put faith in destiny."

Clio nodded. "There are things you should know that we do not keep stored here, and thus, I cannot tell you. The only knowledge I can impart is stored here… the rest you must uncover on your own. Perhaps you should go to Gongaga. Perhaps there you will understand why you are fated to do what you must do."

Alcestis stared at the ghostly visage for a moment, her mouth hanging open just slightly. Fate? No. There was no such thing as fate. Or perhaps… hmph. She didn't want to know.

"You also have a special task here." Clio said, inclining her head at Reno, who shook his head. "You will know what you are to do when the time comes… pending you make it there alive."

"I don't like the sounds of that, yo." Reno muttered to himself.

"Now, you all must leave. There is little else I can tell you that will pertain to you, and those who stay inside so magical a place for too long tend to experience unpleasant things."

"Such as?" Elena inquired.

"Everything from headaches to insanity." Clio replied. She waved her hand, and the ground before her sunk in, caving, revealing a tidy little crawlspace.

"This path shall lead you out of the forest, facing Gongaga. I suggest you begin moving. The sooner you understand what you are to do and do so, the more likely it is that you will survive the coming disaster."

And without another word, the keeper of lost knowledge disappeared from sight, the only sign she'd ever been there the echo of her voice, of the word "disaster" bouncing off the walls.

---------

**Author's Note:** I actually spent a great deal of time coming up with ideas as to why you don't seem to find any dedicated mages in the FFVII universe. A physical and emotional cost for the powers used seemed to make the most sense.  
Of course, I came up with Alcestis' line of limit breaks, too. Because I'm a nerd.  
Level 1

-Pestilence

-Alluvion

Level 2

-Cataclysm

-Eruption

Level 3

-Tempest

-Catastrophe

Level 4

-Havoc

There are only a few different series of Limit Breaks for Black Mages to choose from. This series is the most powerful, but also the most devastating to the user. Besides the increased sex drive, the user has to take power from their magical points and hit points to cast the spells. Because of this, it requires great stamina and practice to perform anything past Alluvion, meaning that few mages reach Cataclysm, much less Havoc, hence why the party is shocked to find that Alcestis has done so.

I imagined that it would take something unique for someone to be a dedicated mage in the world of FFVII, so Alcestis would have to be something special.


	30. In which the next great challenge begins

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Thanks for any and all reviews. More would be nifty, but I'll take everything I can get! :D  
Been a busy week. I performed in a show (three nights, full house! :D) and I got an A on my organic chemistry lab practical. Yay!! Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the United States, I'm excited for my Thanksgiving break from classes, phew. And thus, another chapter.

* * *

"How long have we been _crawling_?" Elena muttered, her back aching.

"Approximately 78 meters." Cyrene replied, moving steadily on her hands and knees.

"Was this really the only way out of the cave? Couldn't she have given us a door or something?"

"It's better than fighting through the beasts above."

"See, that's just it." Elena said, sighing. "I don't think it is."

"Will you two shut the hell up back there? There's light ahead." Tseng muttered.

"How much further?" Elena moaned.

"About 22 meters." Cyrene answered. Elena groaned.

"At least now we know why the crazy man is trying to destroy the world." Yetta's voice was full of cheer.

"Love just never turns out well, does it Vincent?" Oedipus remarked.

"…"

"Ode, you are such a dumbass. Leave Vincent alone before I stab you." Cyrene muttered angrily.

"I was just asking."

"Heed her advice." Vincent muttered.

"Watch out," Rude said. "It's muddy up here."

"Oh, hell." Elena muttered, feeling her palms sink into the ground.

"I think I hate my life." Alcestis muttered, leading the charge.

"It's because you've never had the Reno experience, yo." Reno said from behind her.

"If you ever say that again, I will not hesitate to break your face."

"Just trying to lighten the mood, yo. I have got the greatest view right here."

"Heathen."

"I suggest all of you crawl faster," Nereid said from the rear. "I do believe that there is something malicious coming up behind us."

"Are you shitting me? You have got to be shitting me." Elena said. "This is the worst day of my life."

"If you don't hurry, it will also be the last day of your life." Nereid said. "Get moving."

Alcestis pushed her hands and knees to their limit, crawling along as fast as she could, dragging her staff through the mud. "But anything behind us would have had to have come from the library."

"It is not altogether unlikely that we have been followed." Nereid replied, urgency humming in her tone.

Alcestis burst out the hole, tumbling down a small hill a few feet, the others exiting behind her. Nereid leaped out just before a ball of fire came hurtling out. She landed deftly on her feet, turning to face their attacker: another Gagighandi, which spat out a blue ball of some kind, which hit Alcestis in the forehead. She grabbed her temples, moaning a little.

"Give me the pleasure." Nereid said, leaping forward. Her tusks sunk into the other's neck, her eyes shooting forth beams of light which burst her opponent into pieces, red balls of light that sunk into the ground, returning to the Lifestream.

"Are you all right, my mage?"

"I've just got a bit of a headache, is all. I'm fine." Alcestis replied. Nereid nodded simply, letting it go.

"Why didn't we know it was there? That it was following us?" Yetta said, favoring her ribs. The crawling had aggravated her mostly-healed injuries.

"Some Gagighandi, those that have given their minds for power, have the ability to become invisible. However, they become drones of whatever force they're working for. That wasn't even a Gagighandi I just killed. It was a shell." Nereid said, blinking her sapphire eyes slowly. "Let us move on."

Alcestis turned, and smiled a little at the sight of Gongaga. It was not far away, a twenty-minute walk. She was returning home for the first time in years. She could finally tell the parents of her siblings the fate of their children. Finally, they could all be at peace. She allowed herself a rare moment: inside, the churning tempest of her soul, her feelings, her fears, her hopes, which normally battled inside her like a hurricane settled into a peaceful, tranquil state. She closed her eyes, took a breath of fresh air. _Home. And my siblings are watching over me_. She felt Reno's hand on her shoulder, knowing it was him without looking. He was happy for her, she could tell. For the first time in years, Alcestis felt that she was at peace, a short reprieve from the touch-and-go life she had been living.

Peace. Perhaps if she helped defeat this lunatic, this Knight, she could bring it to everyone.

She opened her eyes, and turned to look behind her, a small, tired, smile on her face. She broke into a wracking cough, holding her chest, but once it subsided, the smile returned. Reno took her hand and began to lead her down the hill towards her hometown.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno had been relieved to see her calm at the sight of Gongaga. The way things had been going, he thought for sure that she would have lost it, seeing the place of her ruined childhood. But she was fine… weirdly fine.

And he was weirdly disturbed. Even as he held her hand, her smiling and grinning and giggling at nothing all the while, he felt uneasiness stir inside him. How could he possibly have a role in this? _I am a lowlife, yo. My purpose is to do what I'm told. I have no place in this thing. This whole magic-destiny thing doesn't have room for a Turk, yo. And Magic keeps getting weirder by the day. _Alcestis had informed Reno that the living could cast spells on the dead and the dead on the living, as magic took no notice of the biological state when acting. _Weird as hell, yo_.

He sighed. Except that he was attached to Alcestis, damn her and her pretty eyes, which meant that he was stuck with a part in this for the long run. _As long as we make it through together… maybe we can go back to our meaningless existence, yo_.

But he'd been thinking. She hadn't really wanted a meaningless existence. _Even back in Midgar, she was talking about this feeling she had, wanting to do something, help someone, save the world, yo. Maybe this is what she was meant to do, and she's felt that all along. Or maybe I'm just crazy, yo. And that Pandia chick, something about her looked real familiar to me. I just can't quite figure out how, though. She's been dead for centuries, yo. How would I know her?_ Something about the whole thing disturbed him – a lot. Besides the fact, of course, that he was falling in love. He had fallen and hit the ground hard, too. Even Vincent knew it. It seemed like the ex-Turk was always keeping an eye on him. It made Reno a little uncomfortable.

But for now, he would smile and nod at Alcestis, who appeared relaxed for the first time in what seemed like forever.

As they approached Gongaga, however, her smile disappeared.

"Gates? Why are there gates?" Alcestis asked. "There have never been gates into Gongaga. What is happening here?" She walked towards the entrance, her staff extended outwards, tapping the gate, her hand firmly clenching Reno's.

"You are not Gongagan natives. I cannot allow you in." A large, armored man declared, his face obscured by the helmet he was wearing. He stood just off to the side next to a large crank, which would apparently open the gate.

"Are you kidding me? _Look_ at me! I have classic Gongagan features. Look at my cheekbones! I have seven piercings on each ear. You know, a Gongagan symbol of strength and beauty? Look, I even have the Gongagan anklets, for intelligence and magical prowess. I am clearly Gongagan. Allow me into my home." Alcestis said, her eyes flashing.

"Anyone could have that jewelry, and cheekbones are a sign of nothing." The man said, unmoved.

"Look at the anklets. _Look_. They are distinctive, made by the only jeweler who lives here! They even have his markings on them, a sign that I am a skilled mage. Look at my earrings! A chain that links the piercing the second one down to the second up from the bottom. Well, third, really; the eighth piercings on the lowest part of the lobe is a Gongagan sign of tragedy. My parents were killed in an accident here. I am a native of this place! How else would I know every single stupid tradition and taboo here?! This is the place of my childhood!"

"I cannot allow you in. You have not been deemed Gongagan by the Foremost. You are not branded."

"Branded? _Branded?!_ _Like cattle_?!" Alcestis shouted. "Oh, I'll give you a branding to remember, moron, be sure of it-"

"I cannot allow you in if you are a mage, anyway. It's against the law."

"Since when?! Mage's aren't common, but they're hardly unheard of in Gongaga. Almost a third of the mages in the world come from Gongaga!"

"Not any longer. The Foremost has not deemed you Gongagan."

"Screw this noise, yo." Reno said. "Look buddy, we're the _Turks_. We don't give two shits about 'the Foremost'. Either you let us in, or you die. It's really that simple, yo."

"None of you appear armed."

Almost instantly, Reno's rod appeared, along with the guns of the various Turks and Oedipus' Lance and Cutlass. Vincent turned the safeties off on Cerberus, and Cyrene pointed her scepter at the man, glowering. The top of Alcestis' staff began to glow.

"You will _not_ deny me entrance to my home!" She cried, and a bolt of lightning jolted the man. He sunk into a heap on the ground. She lifted her hand and the gates flew open, the crank spinning so fast it broke.

"Let's go." Alcestis said, her teeth gritted, before breaking into another set of deep, wracking coughs.

Reno sighed. So much for relaxed.

Upon entering, the first thing that she noticed was that the center square of the town went up in flames.

"Kess-"

"I did not do that. That was not me." Alcestis said charging forward while sneezing, knowing the rest would back her up.

"One of the guards has allowed intruders into my territory. Now you all shall suffer for his incompetence." A booming voice announced.

Dashing into the square, the party saw a black-cloaked man perched on the roof of the local inn, waving his hands. With each flick of the wrist, a fireball would go flying, and another house caught on fire. He cackled a bit.

"Bastard!" Alcestis said to herself. She thrust her staff upward. Slowly but surely, the sunny skies over Gongaga disappeared, and, in a matter of minutes, a storm was brewing overhead.

"It's a Tempest. She's reached her limit once more." Nereid murmured.

Rain began to hammer down in sheets, the wind pushing it almost horizontal.

"Did you really have to make it storm?!" Elena shouted, covering her face. The droplets were like pellets hitting the skin.

"Absolutely." Alcestis said.

"Kess… don't do anything stupid, yo."

"Don't worry Reno… I won't…" Alcestis said, stepping further into the center of the square. The cloaked man's black hair was whipping in the wind. "Who has done this?!" He bellowed.

"Over here. Yeah, look over here, moron." Alcestis shouted. "Yeah, I'm talking to you! Standing up there, setting the town on fire! You must be the Foremost, right?!"

"I am, you inferior creature."

"I am a native of this place. Gongaga is my home. And if I have to bring a hurricane here to save it from you, then I will. And I have!" She shouted up at him, shaking her staff at him. "Any last words?!"

"Certainly. Die, creature." He shouted over the roaring wind, laughing maniacally. He extended a hand, and bolts flew from it. Alcestis was thrown backwards, but twisted her body in the air, landing on her feet. She thrust out her free hand and the Foremost went flying backwards.

"Who do you think you are, taking control of a peaceful town? How did you come to be in power here?!"

The man appeared behind her, throwing out a fist. She batted it away with her staff while simultaneously turning and kicking out at him. He leaped backward, grinning. "Simple. I slaughtered the resistance."

"All by your lonesome?" She asked, feeling the eyes of the party on the back of her head. They were afraid to engage a mage. She was on her own.

"Certainly not. I had their help!" The Foremost laughed, his eyes so light a shade of blue that they were practically white. He raised his hands, and from the thundering sky appeared hundreds and hundreds of human-sized bats with fangs as long as her fingers. They dove for the party. Many of them were gunned down or beaten down, but she knew that they would not be able to fend them off for long. They would need her help.

Which meant taking care of the Foremost.

"And where exactly did you learn your magic, freak?" Alcestis asked, hitting him across the face with the sharp end of her staff, cutting open his cheek. To her shock, not blood, but a black liquid she could not identify came spurting out before the cut sealed itself with black stitches. He laughed.

"I learned it all from the Master!"

"Knight Ajax?"

"_You dare speak his name?!_" The Foremost hissed, throwing a fireball at her. She divided it with her staff, its remnants dissipating in the rain. Visibility was poor; she could hardly keep track of him.

"What, _Ajax?_ The man who couldn't even persuade a woman to love him? Who was so weak he could not handle magic and lost his sanity? Yeah, I'll say his name. Ajax the ass!" She proclaimed, throwing him backwards with her telekinesis. He caught himself and produced shards of ice like knives which came flying at her. She produced a shield, but it was too weak to withstand the onslaught. The shield shattered, which stunned her, and she took several shards in her face and chest. She ripped them out even as she sent a dragon of flame charging towards him, harassing him.

_Cyrene is too occupied with the others to help heal me right now. I've just got to eliminate this idiot before he wounds me mortally_. Alcestis calculated her next move: she would take it somewhere he could not handle.

Melee battle.

She teleported behind him, thrusting the sharp end into the back of his skull. Black tendrils seeped out, and she ripped her staff out to use the blunt end to bash the top of his head. He fell, and she kicked him in the chin, the force of the blow bending his neck to an angle no one should have been able to survive. And then she realized that he hadn't survived it.

He was undead.

She had heard stories when she was young, myths about evil men who would use magic to reanimate dead mages into undead killing machines. These live-cadavers were immune to healing magic, unlike other undead creatures. There was only one thing these creatures were susceptible to, something so rarely performed that it was no wonder that the use of live-cadavers was so successful.

Alcestis pondered this even as she sparred with him, trading blow after blow, hearing calls of help and shrieks of terror from her friends. She could hear Reno's voice shouting obscenities over the roaring wind. Could she do it? Was she capable?

Why, yes, she'd already done it once. But she could handle, physically and mentally, doing it twice in twenty-four hours?

She was going to try.

She threw him backwards with her telekinesis once more, this time into a brick wall, stunning him. She positioned one leg behind her and brought her staff forward to bear. A beam of light emanated from the glowing ball at the top, shooting straight into the live-cadaver's chest. His eyes grew wide with horror, his face frozen in shock.

Alcestis felt a strange, heaving sensation in her gut. She ignored it. A rainbow of light began to twist and dance, eventually focusing on the cadaver, who was now spasmodically twitching, held up in the air.

She could feel her lungs depressing, her heart slowing, her muscles weakening. She could not give in… not yet…

Shootings stars, like meteors covered in mako-like flame began to pour downwards from the sky, centered on the live-cadaver's torso and skull. They were breaking the sound barrier in terms of speed: it was like hearing a thousand missiles exploding directly above her.

At last, it was over; the cadaver exploded into flesh-shrapnel, sinking as black liquid into the ground.

Alcestis felt dizzy, and put a hand over her heart.

There was no beat. She had a headache. She realized that the blood flow to her brain had stopped as she collapsed on the ground, bleeding.


	31. In which Reno goes exploring

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Happy Black Friday to you all! Special thanks to Shadow's Interceptor for faithfully reviewing each chapter. You bring a smile to my face every time :)

* * *

Reno sat outside the room in a wooden chair, his hands clasped and his head bowed, trying to ignore her screams.

Cyrene had healed her body, but Nereid explained that the use of Havoc twice in the same month, much less twenty-four hours, required more stamina than any human could handle, particularly after casting Tempest.

"But why didn't she seem affected after casting Tempest, yo?"

"Adrenaline. Her heart was pumping blood like no other. She was furious; enraged. Thank goodness that the bats disappeared with the live-cadaver, though… otherwise we certainly would have been done for. She has saved us. But the use of such powerful magic after an exhausting magical battle… her mind will have gone to the hounds." Nereid said, shaking her head.

"What are you talking about?"

"First of all, she's going to lose total control over her body. Lust and dark magic have always been linked, always. Second of all, she probably won't even recognize any of us, or herself. Channeling so much magic has simply worn her body out. The mental discipline required for her to cast that… I'm shocked she got through it without passing out."

Reno sighed anxiously. "She waited until she finished for that, yo."

"Yes. I believe that she was motivated by a need to save us. You have to understand, red one, that my mage may not be the most open with her feelings, but she is very compassionate. She will take burdens onto herself if for no other reason than to lift them from others. I believe that she loves each and every one of us as though we were her family, no matter how much she dislikes any of us at any time for any reason. She has an innate love for all living things, which is part of why she was fated for this task. When it becomes too much for her, she will continue for the sake of others."

"But you're saying we still have to chain her to the bed?"

"She's going to be thrashing about, trying to kill anything she sees. She has a mental and physical sickness, child. Cyrene will have to watch over her. Pending her condition doesn't worsen, she should be fine within the month, unless we can find a way to bring her true self to the surface sooner."

"Why isn't it already at the surface, yo?"

"It's cowering. It's been drained by the battling, the questing, the loving. She's frightened of the things she has to do. She's frightened of being alone. She's frightened of losing us. She has lost anyone who has ever been important to her, and she fears that by caring about us she has marked us for death. What the keeper said affirmed that."

"So we have to find some way to heal her head, is that what you're saying?"

"Essentially… yes."

So now, in the hallway, Reno could listen to Alcestis scream murder in the bedroom. Cyrene said that her mind had moved on to hallucinations quicker than other patients with magic-induced illnesses. She may become this way permanently if they didn't find a solution, and fast.

Reno rubbed his face, listening to her shriek. He wiped away something wet from his cheek – had that actually been a tear? – and massaged his temples. There had to be something he could do… something…

Clio had said that there was info they could find in Gongaga that she couldn't give them, right? Maybe he could start there.

At this point, he would do anything to make Kess stop screaming, to bring her back to normal, to see that pensive look on her face again.

Anything.

Well, in a way he already had.

As he walked out of the Inn, he recalled the previous evening. He had been dozing outside her door before waking to the sound of silence. She had stopped screaming and thrashing for the first time in three days, or so it sounded. He had stood quickly, putting his hand on the doorknob apprehensively. He took a deep breath and opened the door just a crack, peeking through.

She was sleeping, a peaceful look over her face, her breathing normal.

_The real Kess is in there, somewhere. We've just gotta find a way to coax her back out, to get rid of whatever sickness is bothering her, yo_. He thought, gently closing the door so as to not wake her.

Presently, Reno found himself outside, watching various people with scars on their arms – apparently the branding meaning that one was a Foremost-approved Gongagan – rebuilding burnt homes, throwing out buckets of water into the street if their homes had been waterlogged. No one seemed to take notice of the young Turk, though his appearance was certainly unusual for anyone in Gongaga. A sloppy Turks uniform was obvious enough, but his flaming red hair made him stick out and then some. Yet, curiously enough, no one seemed to notice.

Reno kicked at a rock on the ground. With each step, he kicked it a little further. _Where am I even going to begin looking?_ He thought, kicking it once more. _Cryptic nonsense. Weird not really alive 'Keeper of Knowledge'. I mean, I understand why Kess doesn't mind stopping by here, but nothing here really has anything to do with our goals, yo. This is a waste._

He gave the rock a particularly hard kick, and it skipped across the ground, stopping when it hit the rocky foundation of a broken down building. Reno looked up. The building looked as though it might have been grand at one time. It had high towers and peaks in its holey, molding roof. He noticed some kind of engraving on the side of the building towards the ground next to the stairs. It was covered in dust and apparently ages old. Looking behind him, Reno noticed that this building was on the edge of town. The citizens of Gongaga had probably forgotten all about it. He used his sleeve to clean off the dust and dirt to reveal the words "Gongaga Institute of Science, History and Genealogy."

He gazed up at the old, rotting building. Perhaps there was something of use in this town. He athletically leaped over the stairway railing and took the stairs two at a time, bursting through the doors into the broken-down Institute.

-~-*Å*-~-

"How is she holding up?"

Cyrene turned to face Vincent, closing the door to Alcestis' room.

"She's holding up remarkably well, I think, for how fast her condition is progressing." Cyrene replied. "Of course, it's not really a surprise that she has such great stamina, considering she managed to cast Havoc at all, much less twice in a day. But…"

"Her condition is worsening that quickly?"

"Yes, Vincent. She moved onto hallucinations within three days. At this rate, she won't even know that she's in that room within a week. She'll be reliving each important event in her life."

"And what happens once she gets through all of them?"

Cyrene bit her lip. "I'm afraid that if we don't find a way to bring her psyche in line within the next couple of days… if her mind cycles through every important memory in her life… it will self-destruct, unable to come back to reality, unable to handle re-living her life again."

"Her brain will kill her body."

"In essence… yes."

Vincent frowned at the boards in the wall for a moment before speaking once more.

"Do you know of anything that brings a person back from this kind of illness?"

Cyrene nodded, though frowning. "Usually, they snap out of it themselves. If that doesn't happen, then generally they can be brought out of it by re-living something that reminds them why they need to live. A jolt back to reality. And if that doesn't work… generally someone they have a strong connection with can talk them out of it."

"Have you tried allowing Reno to talk to her?" Vincent asked quietly.

"Do you really think they have a strong enough connection?" Cyrene eyed him suspiciously.

"They've only known each other a couple of months, but I believe that they've developed feelings for one another."

"Are you _kidding me_?" Cyrene asked, scandalized. "That would never work! Reno is such a damn lazy ass, and Alcestis is so…"

"Intense. Yes, I know. Nevertheless, I believe that that is what has happened."

"It doesn't matter. Reno tried to talk to her before. She tossed him into the wall and growled at him, calling him a bastard. I don't think she even recognized him. She called him some completely unfamiliar name. She's struggling against her bonds so hard that her ankles and wrists are going to start bleeding soon. She wants off that bed and to murder everything she can reach."

Vincent stared at the ground. "We'd better formulate a plan, then."

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno didn't even know where to begin looking for anything.

"This place is a damn wreck, yo."

He kicked at a piece of wood that had fallen from a support beam. The inside of the library was every bit as broken down as it had appeared from the outside. The holes in the ceiling had allowed in every drop of rainwater from the storm Alcestis has brought on them: the place was swamped. Reno was up to his shins in water. He cursed, sloshing through the place, trying to find something that resembled information they might need.

"How did that crazy old hag think we would ever find anything we need _here_, yo?" he asked aloud. "Any info that might've been here has been ruined. This building is decaying and then some, yo. But it's the only place in Gongaga that might have anything of use…"

Reno tripped over something in the murky water he could not see and fell on his face, causing a magnificent splash. He was soaked and angry. He pulled the offending object from the water, ready to throw it as hard as he could at the nearest wall.

It was some kind of little blue orb, larger than materia ever was. It seemed to glow and pulsate from the inside, little lights twirling and dancing. He raised an eyebrow. "What the hell, yo?"

The orb flashed rather brightly. "I beg your pardon?" The voice was garbled, as thought coming from under water.

"What the… What the hell?!"

"Sir, I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop cussing. Are you looking for something, he-who-stumbles-around-until-tripping?"

"What the hell _are you_?"

"Didn't I just tell you to stop that?" The little orb flashed red for a moment before replying. "I am the catalogue of this institute's information."

"Are you magical or technological?"

"This shell you are holding is technological. The lights you see inside are magical."

"How…?"

"I am the founder of this institute. I was the only one who knew where everything was. At the time of my death, they sealed me inside of this… _thing, _rather than allowing to return to the lifestream in peace. They were supposed to free me once they completed the catalogue, but no, of course, they leave me in this glorified bowling ball."

Reno shook his head in an effort to clear it. "Um… all right."

"I assume you are here because you are looking for something?" The voice said, bored and expectant.

"I guess so." Reno said standing and ringing out his jacket with one hand. "My, uh, friends and I are out to save the world from Knight Ajax or some crap like that."

"Knight Ajax stirs once more, eh? Interesting."

Reno paused for a moment, scrutinizing the little ball. "So you already know about this, yo."

"Certainly. Anything you want to know is located in the library in the nearby forest."

"We've already been there, yo. It's a myth that it even exists. How long has it been since anyone spoke to you?"

The lights inside twirled faster for a moment, thinking. "About 500 years, I think."

"Holy _crap_. Okay, well, the Keeper or whatever she called herself sent us to Gongaga to find some information that would help Alcestis on our quest, yo."

"Alcestis? Alcestis… hm… that seems familiar."

"Why would that seem familiar? She left Gongaga five years ago, and I sincerely doubt she ever stopped in here."

"That's true, but I can hear things from outside. About a decade ago I recall a young boy's voice outside the institute. Shouting. 'Alcestis, follow me!'"

"Probably belonged to Zack." Reno muttered.

"Ah, yes, it did. That was the boy's name. But that's not the only reason I recognize that name, I would swear it isn't." The little orb vibrated a little in his hand, then flashed. "You say that you are out to defeat the Knight Ajax?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps we should start by finding Pandia's records."

"You really know everything about this, don't you, yo?"

"It used to be common knowledge. Somewhere along the line, it must've faded into legend. Now, from our current location… I need you to find the basement."

"The basement?"

"Yes, the basement. The records I need are down there. But…" the orb stopped vibrating. "If I help you, If I give you what you need, you have to agree to something."

"What, yo?"

"That you'll find some way to free me from this orb. I have not been allowed to rest peacefully as I should've been 900 years ago."

Reno nodded. "I'll do it, yo. Just show me what I need to find."


	32. In which Reno discovers genealogy

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Reviews pleeeaaase *pouts at you*  
Sorry for the space between chapters X_X We're coming up on finals week at my university, and my time has been crammed full of academic work. Here's some more :)

* * *

"I'm sorry. I did not know the basement would be submerged."

"It's fine, yo." Reno muttered, sucking in a deep lungful of air. "Lucky for me, I can hold my breath longer than a minute and a half. I managed to pull out this scroll. Is this the one you were telling me about, yo?"

"Yes, it is. I think."

"You think?"

"You have to find Pandia's name on the list, first."

Reno frowned, unrolling the hunk of paper. "What is this, yo?"

"It's a pedigree. Just find Pandia's name on the list."

Reno found her name relatively close to the top. "Okay."

"Now, check the bottom of the list."

Reno flipped to the next page of the list, searching for the bottom. When he found it, his jaw dropped.

"Whose name is it?"

"It says 'Alcestis Mirro.'"

"Exactly. I recognized her name because it was added to one of the genealogical charts here twenty-one years and three months ago. We keep the pedigrees of over half the Planet's population here, updated regularly through magic. Anyone descended from the magical tribes living at the time of the establishment of this institution has a full pedigree in the records downstairs."

"So what you're saying is-"

"Alcestis is meant to defeat Ajax because she is directly descended from the woman who did it the first time. Pandia is something like her great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- great- grandmother."

"How many greats was that, yo?"

"Fifty-four."

Reno's mind was reeling. _No wonder Pandia looked familiar to me. She looks just like Kess! Same eyes and cheekbones, yo. But Pandia was from the Canyon_.

"But how did… how come she wasn't born in Cosmo Canyon or something then?"

"A long time ago, the Witches made the decision to emigrate and leave the management of the Canyon to the red-furred species that was multiplying. They established the village of Gongaga."

"Are you kidding?"

"No. That is why more mages come out of Gongaga than any other village, town, or city."

"And Alcestis just happened to be the one descended from Pandia."

"Yes. She is the only one, in fact. Every other line that branched off from Pandia's lineage has met an early end, a curse I believe that Ajax may have placed on her before his defeat."

"Then how come Alcestis survived?"

"She was orphaned at a young age, correct?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Yet another reason I recognize her name. Her parents were exploring this institute once. They had dedicated their lives to trying to rebuild this place. As a result, they learned of all the knowledge kept here, and they found this pedigree. They knew that they would probably meet an early end, and that would be the end of Pandia's line. So they placed a protective charm on their newborn child by way of enlisting one of the local Gagighandi tribes to ensure that she would have a familiar to protect her, to keep her safe and living until such a time that Ajax was permanently defeated. As long as her Gagighandi is with her, she will be safe from accidents and other unfortunate events that might lead to her death."

Reno's brow furrowed. "The spell is only supposed to protect her until Ajax is defeated? What happens then, yo?"

"Truthfully, I cannot be certain. It is quite possible that, Ajax being defeated, the protective spell will be lifted, and she will fall victim to Ajax's curse."

"You mean… after he's gone… she might just… die?"

Silence flooded the room, every corner of Reno's mind.

"Do not worry, boy. I am sure her parents were smart enough not to allow such a thing to happen."

Reno cleared his throat. "Her parents never found you?"

"No. But I would often hear them speak while in here, fixing up the place."

"Amazing, yo. D'you think you could put all this down on a piece of paper for Kess to read?"

"Kess?"

"Alcestis. That's my nickname for her."

"Oh. _Oh_. Certainly."

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Reno asked accusatorally.

"It's a pet name, is it? You two are lovers?"

"God_damn_, why does everybody keep asking us that?!"

"I don't know why everyone else does… but Pandia once wrote that whoever of her lineage it was that was intended to defeat Ajax would need a lover to maintain her sanity throughout the course of the quest, as she would need to channel more power than one person can handle."

"Alcestis is currently chained to a bed in the local inn. She's already lost her sanity, yo. They're trying to bring her back to reality."

"Well then I suggest you find who her loved one is supposed to be and get them together, you fool. There is parchment in the desk; start writing."

Reno obediently rummaged through the indicated desk, pulled out an old crap of parchment and began scribbling down every word he'd heard, his mind racing. _Even if we live long enough to defeat Ajax, there's a good chance that he might her down with him, yo._ Reno ground his teeth together. Not if he had anything to say about it.

As Reno finished, the lights in the orb started whirling with ferocity. "Now please, release me."

Reno stared at the orb, thinking. This was so much to take in. He had no idea when he had invited Alcestis to stay in his apartment that it would evolve into this. Everything he had just learned was… so much. Too much. But it all made perfect sense, in its own way. How could they not have known? Did Nereid know? He bowed his head slightly.

"Do not worry, friend of Alcestis. She must be strong. The greatest saviors are those who do not choose to take responsibility… but instead have it thrust upon them. I understand that this is probably a lot for you to take in. But you have to. There are things you must do before all of this is over. I wish to watch it from the Resting Place of all life. Please, release me."

Reno nodded at the orb, and threw it as hard as he could against the wall. It shattered, and the ghostly visage of a man appeared. Reno's jaw dropped.

"You-"

"I imagine I look rather like Bugenhagen to you, friend of Alcestis. That should come as no surprise. He is one of my descendants." The visage smiled as his feet dissolved into balls of light, descending into the ground. "Do not worry. I know what comes next. You're ready. And thank you." The visage disappeared entirely, now finally at peace.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno entered the Inn, breathless. He had run as fast as he could from the institute back to Alcestis. He had to tell her what was going on, who she was descended from, about her parents – everything. He had to coax her out of the state she was in. He noticed something strange, though: it was totally quiet in the Inn. Eerily quiet.

He stepped out of the lobby, towards the stairs that led to Alcestis' room. For the first time, he thought he heard something: a strange humming sound. Like the sound of electricity powering a generator. He started up the stairs, and what he saw in the wide hallway outside Alcestis' room frightened him.

All the members of the party were lying on the floor, unmoving. He had no idea if they were dead for certain or if they could be saved, but they would need medical attention soon. He saw the source of the humming: Alcestis was gripping her staff, her face twisted in anger and insanity, light pumping out at Nereid, who had some kind of bubble-shaped shield between her and Alcestis.

"My mage! This is madness! What is that matter with you?!"

"With me, you're all going to die anyway. This way, I can decide how you die. It will be painless, I assure you." Alcestis screeched.

"Alcestis!" Reno shouted. Alcestis turned her head at him, her eyes suddenly looking uncertain.

"Who are you?!" She demanded.

"It's me, your roommate. Reno. Remember Reno?"

Alcestis shook her head. "You're one of them. You hurt my brother."

"The Turks did not hurt your brother." Tseng said, his eyes fluttering open, coughing. "A couple of soldiers shot him before the Turks ever got there. My orders were to keep them alive."

"LIES!" She cried.

"I let you stay in my home after we delivered Lerina to Tifa. Remember Lerina?" Reno said, interrupting.

Alcestis' face suddenly looked childlike, though her hands were still gripping her staff, still shooting a menacing light at Nereid, who was staring at Reno intensely.

"Chocobo?" Alcestis asked.

"Yeah, she called me Mr. Chocobo, yo. Remember that?"

Alcestis nodded.

"Remember the battle in Midgar? You saved my life, yo."

Alcestis frowned.

"Remember when you fell out of the railway car? I jumped out after you. I grabbed you from the sands and got you inside the Gold Saucer before the WEAPON got to you. Remember that? Remember me waking up, yo?"

Alcestis stopped attacking Nereid, shaking her head vigorously. She put her hands to her temples.

"When-when-when-"

"Just a couple of weeks ago, yo."

"My head, yo!" She shouted, sitting down, clutching the sides of her skull. Suddenly her eyes widened, scared. "Zack! Zack! Where's my mom? Where's my dad? Where are they?! Jessie, have you seen my mom?" Her voice sounded childlike, her words barely enunciated.

"She's re-living the worst parts of her childhood." Cyrene rasped, coming back to consciousness. "You've got to help her realize that that's over, she's already faced that, it's done." Cyrene spat out a large quantity of blood, crawling over to her scepter, trying to heal herself.

"Zack! Mom and dad were at the reactor! There was a big 'splosion! Are they okay?!"

"Alcestis, how old are you?" Reno asked gently.

"I'm three, Zack. Where's mom?"

"You're not three anymore."

Alcestis frowned at him, confused. "Then how old am I?"

"You're twenty-one, yo."

Alcestis pulled her knees to her chest. "When did I get that old?" Her voice suddenly sounded more mature.

"You turned twenty-one a month before we met, yo." Reno said gently.

"'Yo?' Who do I know that says that?"

"Me." Reno said gently.

Suddenly her eyes widened again, frightened, and she began screaming. "RENO! RENO! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Reno sunk to the floor, putting his arms around her. "I'm right here, Kess. How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-one."

"Where are we?"

"My hometown."

"When did you meet Reno?"

"Just a couple of months ago."

"Who is Reno?"

"My… best friend."

"Look at me. Who am I?"

Alcestis pulled her head up from her knees. "Reno!" She shouted, throwing her arms around him. "Reno… I… what happened?"

"Relax, Kess. You know a little bit of healing magic?"

"Yes, I know a little."

"Use it on Cyrene. Now, yo."

Alcestis turned to Cyrene, who was covered in blood. "Cyrene, what happened?"

"Not… now…" Cyrene said. Alcestis waved her hand, and Cyrene began breathing normally. She stood, waving her scepter about. The bodies on the floor became animated, coughing and blinking and sitting up.

"Who did this?" Alcestis asked. "Who did this to you?"

"You did." Elena replied, clutching her aching chest.

"What… how?!" Alcestis cried, her eyes filling with tears. "What… what have I done?"

"You saved Gongaga from the live-cadaver. Do you remember that?" Nereid said.

"Yes." She said. "I… I defeated him. It was such terrible pain. I thought my lungs were going to collapse. I realized my heart had stopped beating, and then…" Alcestis; struggle to remember what happened next was visible on her face. "Black, I don't remember anything until now?"

"Let me give you the rundown." Elena said, standing. "Cyrene revived you, and you were crazy. We had to knock you out and tie you to the bed in there, you were so determined to kill us all."

"It's been a few days since you blacked out." Rude said.

"You got free from the bed." Yetta said, fingering her ribs a little. "And we tried to subdue you, but…"

"You knocked us all down." Oedipus said, rubbing his forehead. "You are one tough little mage. We couldn't get a shot at you at all." He coughed. "Not that we were trying too hard. Using lethal force didn't seem like a great idea."

"You were about to take out Nereid when Reno arrived." Vincent commented quietly.

"He coaxed you back to reality." Cyrene said, still waving her scepter.

"And now you are here, my mage, safe and sound once more." Nereid said, rubbing her head against Alcestis.

"Reno? How come you weren't here when I got free?" Alcestis asked, picking up her staff and looking Reno in the eye.

In her eyes, Reno saw confusion, concern, sadness, but… mainly just disappointment that Reno hadn't been there with her.

"I was getting this." Reno said, holding up the parchment. He put an arm around Alcestis, trying to make her walk with him. She took a step and collapsed.

"My legs… I can't stand." She said, peering up at him.

He nodded, bending down and placing his arms behind her neck and her knees, picking her up. He took her to the next room, set her down on the bed as gently as he could manage, and handed her the parchment.

"I think this is what we were supposed to find here, yo."


	33. In which a challenger appears

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! I trust you had a good holiday. :)  
Sorry it's been so long – I went to my parents' home on break only to experience the most horrific intestinal flu for two weeks. Once I was finally over that, my desktop crashed, and I had to format the drive and reinstall windows. The best part is that, the virus that destroyed my desktop was on the same network as my laptop, thus getting my laptop infected with the same virus and crashing it, leading me to format THAT computer too, and reinstalling windows.

I'm finally back at college and got my hard drives sorted out, and I have a slew of work – I managed to save most of my files and ALL of this story :). v.v; The good news, I'm back with another chapter, and I managed to successfully genetically transform my E. coli culture for class! I now have bioluminescent E. coli. Oh happy day! :D

Those of you who have been keeping up with this, thank you so much. Your support is very much appreciated!! :D (Especially you, Akari-chan :D)

* * *

Alcestis leaned against the headboard, staring at the ceiling, her index finger and thumb pressed together tightly, the parchment trapped in between. Reno laid on his stomach, his head propped up on his hands.

"I don't even know where to begin with this."

"Can't blame you, yo."

"I'm related to… and Nereid was supposed to be… and now I have to… and I need someone to help me not lose my sanity?" She sighed. "Not to mention I feel like I got hit by a truck."

"Well, first you passed out defeating some kind of dead guy brought to life, then you went crazy, then you tried to kill everyone here, and then you found out that you might die just as soon as you're done defeating mr. crazy guy, yo. I'd say that's at least equivalent to a freakin' truck."

She turned her head to face him, glaring. "You are not helping."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Sorry. But it's true, yo."

She leaned her head back again. "Yeah, I know." She rotated her shoulder slightly, and winced when it popped. "I feel terrible." She massaged her temples with her free hand. "Where is everyone?"

"The ones that can walk are at the local tavern getting hammered, and the rest are downstairs, sleeping on cots, yo."

"Do they know about this?"

"No. I handed it to you as soon as I got here."

"How long has it been since you…" Her voice faded out. She didn't want to say _talked me into sanity. _However, she didn't need to.

"It's been about four days, yo."

"I've been sleeping it off that long?"

"Well, yeah, yo. I mean, you did… well, everything I've already said."

"Mmhmm." Alcestis murmured. Her eyes drifted out the window, at the Gongagan sunset. "I wonder what Zack would have said if he knew. He was always so much more brave than me or Jessie, so ready to go out and help people without two thoughts of what might happen to him. His instructor always spoke so well of him, not just of his fighting, but of the manner in which he so willingly reached out to people, even people he didn't know. He was a great fighter, but he was so loving." She drew in a long breath, and let it out. "I can just imagine how excited Jessie would've been about the whole thing. She would be asking me where I would go next, if she could help, anything she could do. She was so… _spunky_. And courageous." Alcestis wiped a small tear from her eye. "I miss them so."

"What about their parents, yo?"

Alcestis sighed. "Jessie's parents moved away when she was taken by ShinRa. They could be dead for all I know, if they were writing me letters I didn't receive them while I was abroad. Zack's parents are still around here, I think. I should see them before we go, and tell them… tell them what happened to Zack."

Reno nodded agreeably. "That's a good idea, I think."

Alcestis nodded, and closed her eyes. "Reno, I… I have something that's been bothering me a little." She opened her eyes slightly, peeking at him with a slightly forlorn expression. "Why weren't you here when I went crazy? I mean, I thought you would be here the whole time…"

Reno shrugged a little, avoiding her eyes. "I couldn't stand to hear you scream, yo. It was tearing me up."

"Didn't you try to talk to me?"

"Well, the first time I tried to walk into your room, you cussed me out and tossed me into the wall, yo."

"Are you serious?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Maybe."

Reno snorted. "Anytime I tried to walk in to see you, you would call me… it was a really weird name, yo… I think it was something like Jaden. Yeah, that's what it was. Jaden. What the hell is a Jaden, yo?"

Alcestis looked at him, her eyes wide. "Are you serious?"

"You've been asking me that a lot lately, yo."

"Well, Jaden… I'd forgotten entirely about that."

Reno sat up, crossing his legs. "About what, yo?"

"Jaden was just… in fact, I bet he's still around here. We might run into him."

"Oh, so he's from Gongaga?"

"Mmhmm. He was… well, I'd rather not discuss it."

"You know, anytime there's anything you don't want to talk about, I usually end up getting slammed into a wall."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"You didn't want to talk about me not killing Lerina when we first met, except it was a tree, that time. Then you didn't want to listen to me when I told you to come out of the bathroom, you were nappin', yo. Then you didn't want to talk about your family. Now some guy from Gongaga? I sense an aching back in the near future, yo."

"I promise I won't, as long as you behave if we run into him. In fact, it might be fun to visit him. I might do that before we leave."

"Well, who was he, yo?"

"Well… see, Reno… he was… my…" she giggled a little, her eyes focused someplace else. "He was my first boyfriend."

Reno felt his face form creases as his eyes narrowed. "Well, why'd you break up?"

Alcestis shook her head. "I don't really remember. Maybe we never actually did."

Reno's eyebrows shot up. "What? What-what the hell did you just say?"

"I don't remember actually ever breaking up with him. One day I left Gongaga, but… I don't think we ever broke up before that."

Reno fell off the bed and stood abruptly, brushing himself off. "Are you telling me that you're still technically dating this guy?"

She laughed. "I guess so."

He glared at the window. "Yeah, let's meet him. I'll beat his ass, yo."

"Reno! What is the matter with you?"

"Uh…" Reno put a hand behind his head. _Damn, yo. What am I supposed to say?_ "Well… he can't be that great a boyfriend if he hasn't contacted you in the past couple of months, right?"

"True. But I never said I wanted to still be dating him."

"Doesn't matter. I'm still going to beat his ass, yo."

"Reno… you are a moron."

"Whatever! He had just better hope he can take 400 volts of electricity without fainting when I meet him, yo."

"Reno, don't be ridiculous."

Reno leaned towards her, his face inches from hers. "I'm not." He said quietly. "I'm just not interested in losing you."

"You won't lose me."

"I might if you never let me have you." He said, one arm moving to her other side, making her lay back.

"What are you suggesting?" She said, her lips barely moving, her heart slamming hard against the back of her ribcage.

He lowered himself over her still figure, their noses touching. "I'm not suggesting. I'm doing." He turned his head ever so slightly…

There was a knock at the door. Reno sat up angrily.

"That'd odd." Alcestis said, sitting up. "Who would knock?"

Reno opened the door with a look on his face that he knew to say "screw off." A handsome man was on the on the other side. He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair and blinked at Reno, one arm behind his back.

"Excuse me. I heard that… Alcestis Mirro was back in town? And that she was staying here?"

Reno folded his arms, putting his weight on one foot. "Yeah, and what if she is?"

"Reno, move. I think… I think I know who that is."

Reno grudgingly took a step to the side, and Alcestis sat up in the bed. "Jaden! I… we were just talking about you!"

The man's hazel eyes twinkled as he stepped forward and handed her a bouquet of delicately arranged flowers, apparently from the fields outside Gongaga.

"Jaden! What is this for?"

"I heard you were sick." Jaden's smile was like honey. Reno felt the urge to gag. The man turned to glare at Reno. "Ally, dear, who _is_ this scumbag?"

Reno raised an eyebrow at Alcestis. "Ally?" He asked. She shook her head as though to say "not now".

"Jaden, this is Reno, he's… my roommate."

"And traveling companion. And friend. And bodyguard if you lay one finger on her, yo."

"Bit touchy, is he not?" Jaden said.

"Yes, well… lately, he's had reason to be."

"Kess, I think we need to go speak to Nereid."

"What for?"

"About… you know, Kess. It's in your hand."

Jaden looked at Alcestis. "Kess?"

Alcestis shook her head at him. "Why don't _I_ go talk to Nereid, and you two get to know each other, hm?" She clambered off the bed clumsily. Reno heard Jaden mutter "so cute" and felt his hands form fists. Alcestis took two steps before she fell, her legs shaking. Jaden, being closer, reached her first and caught her, steadying her. She stood, nodding, and left, smiling at Jaden without a single look at Reno.

Reno gritted his teeth. _What is the matter with her? She's all… cheerful. And she didn't even say a thing to me before she left, yo. Moments ago she had been pensive, sulky even… and then responding to me. And this guy had just magically friggin' appeared at the door and suddenly she was all happy and shit, like I'm not here._

"Well, this ought to be quick. Clearly, you are an uncultured brute, and I am an intelligent, blossoming martial artist." Jaden said, smiling sarcastically.

Reno narrowed his eyes. "I am a Turk. You are a douche bag. Done, yo."

"A Turk? A professional killer? Interesting. I wonder what Ally is doing around such riff-raff."

Reno felt anger welling up in his chest. "Her name is not _Ally_. It's Alcestis. The only person who ever calls her by a nickname is _me_. If I see you so much as touch her, you are a dead man. You understand, yo? She's been through a lot lately, and she doesn't need a moron like you to annoy her."

"I could not believe it when I heard she was back in town. I plan to win her back, just so you know." Jaden sighed dramatically. "And if she has been through anything, I am sure it is because she has been around you. Peon."

"I'd explain it to you, but I'm afraid it's over your head, yo." Reno said acidly. "How do you just appear, anyway? Where the hell did you come from?"

Jaden shifted uncomfortably. "As I said, it is because I had heard that Alcestis had been spotted once more in town."

"What the hell is the matter with you? She left Gongaga without even thinking about your sorry ass. She couldn't've missed you that much, yo."

"Yo. Yo. What is all of this 'yo' nonsense?"

Reno's hand went to his rod. "It's how I speak, _yo_. And what's with you? You too good for contractions or something?"

"Only idiots speak with contractions."

"Alcestis does." Reno pointed out, folding his arms. "If you think you're too good for her, you're more than welcome to leave her alone and let people who actually like her take care of her, yo."

"Who? Like _you_?" Jaden scoffed openly. "What are you going to do for her, gun her down?"

"I am going to break your small little skull so that she doesn't have to deal with your crap, yo." Reno said, pulling out his rod.

"Oh, go ahead. Go ahead and try to defeat me, fool."

Reno raised his arm back and whacked the man across the skull faster than he could move. Jaden hit the floor with a dull _thump_ and ceased to move.

"Asshole." Reno muttered, kicking his limp figure. Reno grabbed the nearby vase that Alcestis had stuffed Jaden's flowers into and poured the water on his face. Jaden jerked awake, clutching his head.

"Get up off your ass, cockwad." Reno said, setting the vase down on Alcestis' nightstand and gently arranging the flowers. Jaden massaged the lump on his skull and stood, glaring at Reno.

"Here's the deal, yo." Reno said, leaning against the wall and folding his arms. "You will not hit on Kess. You will not touch her, or making any advances on her, or anything else. You can talk to her, but if it goes beyond that, I'll make sure your pretty little eyes never see the light of day again. You get me, yo?"

Jaden didn't speak, he merely stared at Reno. Reno felt the tension in the room grow a great deal thicker, and he allowed it, staring back at the determined young man.

Suddenly, Jaden reached out with a foot, intent on landing a blow. Reno nonchalantly grabbed it and lifted it high, causing Jaden to fall on his tailbone.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Reno said, leaning over Jaden. "You might be a pretty good martial artist around here, but I'm one of the best combatants in the business. Don't screw with me. And most of all, don't screw with Kess, or you will bleeding out of places you didn't know a person could bleed from, yo."

It was at this very moment that Alcestis re-entered the room, Nereid trotting behind her.

"Dear, dear, Turk. It appears that you have made a mess of things once more." Nereid said.

"Jaden! Are you all right?" Alcestis said, helping him up. She turned her gaze to the red-head. "Reno, for Holy's sake. What is the matter with you?"

"Don't even get me started, yo." Reno said, pointing at Alcestis with his electromag-rod. He shouldered his way past her, leaving the room. "Screw this shit." He muttered, walking quickly down the hallway and thumping down the stairs.

"Reno!" Alcestis called after him. "I still need you to help me!"

"Why don't you have jackass up there take care of you?!" Reno shouted back, not even breaking stride, leaving Alcestis staring after him in bewilderment.


	34. In which Reno gets utterly schnockered

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Hey everybody! I'm having a great time here at teh college workin' my various body parts off. It's okay, because I'm getting A's so far! Hooray! However, because my workload is so huge, and various other reasons (a double bout of bronchitis, financial aid for school, boyfriend issues _) I might not be updating weekly like I was trying to before. Bear with me – the draft of the story is almost complete, which means every time I finish editing a chapter it will be available for posting here!

Hope you enjoy this chapter - I enjoyed writing it. :)

Thanks to everyone who's read this far – there's still a ways to go!

* * *

Reno grit his teeth together when he heard the door to the tavern open and shut. He downed another shot and ignored the footsteps behind him.

"Reno."

Reno stared at the mirror behind the barman.

"_Reno_."

"He's not going to talk to you, so you might as well let him alone." Rude said from beside Reno.

Alcestis placed her hands on her hips in spite of her shaking legs. "Oh, he'll talk."

"If you're going to use magic on him, don't." Cyrene shouted from a card table. "As your healer, I am requiring that you not use any magic for the next week and a half."

"Cyrene-"

"Don't make me cast silence on you, child." Cyrene said. "Magic is what got you into the feeble state you're in, and you're going to lay off it for a while. No one has got the stamina to do what you did. No one. I'm surprised you're even still alive. Now sit down and drink some juice or something." Cyrene said, laying down her card. Tseng groaned as Elena took several gil from the middle of the table.

Alcestis plunked down into the remaining empty seat next to Reno.

"I just want to know _why_ exactly you chose to knock him down."

"First I knocked him out, woke him up, and _then_ I knocked him down, yo. His ego probably wouldn't let him tell you that." Reno muttered, downing another shot.

Alcestis bristled slightly. "He said you got all upset when he said that he wanted to win me back." She said quietly.

Reno's eyes slid to the side, glaring at her. "Don't you think that it's just a little bit _convenient_ that just when you remember this guy, he shows up? Out of nowhere? He couldn't have known you were in town, yo. We didn't tell anyone, and we certainly didn't tell anyone where you were staying during your little fit."

Alcestis' eyebrows drew together. "What are you trying to say?"

"Think back, Kess. Does this guy appear badly in any of your memories? Any specific ones? A fight or anything, maybe? Did he say goodbye to you before you left town?"

"I-" Alcestis stopped. "This is _absurd_. Of course he does."

"Name one."

"Reno-"

"I said name one, yo."

"I…" Alcestis stared off into space, confused.

"With all this magical crap that's happening, don't you think that maybe it's a little too odd that he just happens to appear? Might it be possible that somebody _implanted_ those memories in you at some time? That you liked him or whatever? Do you remember playing with him as a little girl or anything?"

"Reno, get to the point."

"My point is that this might be a trap, yo. We just found out that you need someone to love for a support system, and an old flame crops up, one that you can't remember anything bad about? What the hell, yo? Don't you think this is a little too _coincidental?_"

"No." Alcestis said, standing abruptly. "No, I don't." She hobbled to the door as quickly as she could, and was greeted by Jaden who helped her out, casting a smug look at Reno. She turned back to Reno, her eyes a conflicting mix of wistful frustration. "Reno…"

"Get out of here, yo. Lookin' at your boyfriend is makin' me sober."

Alcestis slammed the door on her way out.

"What the hell did you do?" Rude asked.

Reno downed another shot. "I'm not drunk enough to talk about it, yo."

Rude narrowed his eyes and adjusted his glasses.

Reno shifted uncomfortably.

Rude raised one eye-brow and grunted.

Reno sighed. "She starts talkin' about some guy she used to date around here, and within seconds, he shows up, yo. That's weird, right?"

Rude's eyebrows went up in incredulity. "I would say so, yeah."

"He's all 'oooh, I'm frickin' pansy little martial artist' and blonde and shit, and she just gets _giggly as hell_ when she sees him, yo." Reno downed yet another shot, gesturing at the bartender to bring him more.

"Reno." Rude muttered. "You are an idiot."

"Why now, yo?"

"You're so jealous you can't stand it."

"That's crap, yo." Reno said, downing yet another shot.

"I am going to _curse your face off!_" Cyrene shouted from behind them, standing and knocking her chair onto its back.

"I hope it backfires. Goodness knows you could use a new face." Oedipus shot back, his arms crossed casually.

"Both of you shut the hell up and sit down, the game's not over yet." Tseng barked.

"He _cheated_." Cyrene said acidly.

"Shut the hell up over there!" Reno said, rubbing his forehead with the heel of his palm. He took another shot from the bartender gratefully. "And I am _not_ jealous. There is nothing to be jealous of."

"I never met anyone as unwilling to face reality as you on occasion, Reno." Rude said. He then inclined his hairless head at his friend. "How many of those shots have you _had_? How are you not drunk?"

"Oh, I'm drunk." Reno said. "The glasses keep spinning, and spinning, and spinning." He stood, his lithe figure stumbling slightly. "But, you know." Reno said, thumping back down at the bar. "I think I need a couple of more drinks, yo."

-~-*Å*-~-

"Rude, you are the beshtest buddy a red-head could have."

Rude held one of Reno's arms over his shoulder as they half-walked, half-stumbled from the tavern. "You are completely hammered, aren't you?"

"I am smashed like a church window in the shlums, yo." Reno said, smiling widely. "Ay, ay, ay ay…" he began to sing.

"Holy, not that again." Rude muttered, dragging him across the town square.

"Okay, I want to play carpenter." Reno said.

"I don't even want to know what that is supposed to mean." Rude muttered.

"I'm already hammered, who's going to nail me?" Reno said, giggling.

"Reno, when was the last time you go drunk like this?"

"I'd shay it's been a whiiiiiile." Reno said, he broke away from Rude, skipping around in circles. "Skip, skip, skip to the loo…"

"I don't think those are the words, Reno."

"Doesn't matter. I think I need to peeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

"Reno, what _were you drinking_?"

"It was called Gongagan vodka."

"And how many shots of it did you have?"

"Here'sh the bill." Reno said, handing Rude his receipt before skipping around again. "I'm gonna go shoot blondie, I'm gonna go shoot blondie…" he said in a sing-song voice.

"Shit, Reno. It says you had 23 of them!"

"Gee, I thought it was more around 12. Whoopsies!" Reno said, falling down, laughing.

"Holy, how do you not have alcohol poisoning?"

"High metabolishm, Rude-boy."

"I guess. I don't think you've been this drunk since…" Rude thought back. "Since your promotion party, when you were given above top secret security clearance."

"Yeah, I wash pretty cranked."

"To say the least." Rude grunted. "You put a lampshade on Elena's head and asked Tseng if he could turn the lights on."

"Did I?" Reno giggled more.

"Yes, you did. Then you back flipped off of the couch and landed on that intern."

"She was pretty cute, washn't she?"

"Yes, she was. You slept with her that night."

"I don't remember that, yo. How did it go?"

Rude sighed, hauling his stumbling friend along. "Well, she came out of the bedroom with your wallet. You were lucky we grabbed her before she made off with your credit card."

Reno giggled some more. He hooked his arm through Rude's and began to skip around him in circles. "I have a shecret to tell you, Rudy ol' boy."

Rude narrowed at being called "Rudy," but listened.

"I have a tropical fish in my pocket, yo."

"Shut the hell up."

"I do!" And Reno pulled out the very same tropical fish that the man at the party in Costa Del Sol had pocketed.

"What the hell?" Rude asked.

"I couldn't jusht leave the poor thing to die. I figured maybe we could give it to Keshie's adopted parentsh."

"You are totally lit, aren't you? We need to get you to bed."

"It'sh a pretty fish. It'sh all pink and shtuff. Just like Kesh's cheeks when she's mad."

"Just like your cheeks right now. Man, you are hammered. Come on." Rude grabbed Reno's ponytail and dragged him along. Reno skipped along backwards singing something that sounded vaguely like "A Pirate's Life For Me."

"Maybe Nereid has hidden some bread at the Inn. You need something in your stomach."

"Nonshensh." Reno muttered. "All I need ish to beat that blonde moron'sh face into a bloody cavern of ugly, yo."

"Are you still on about that? You must really be pissed."

"You have no idea, yo." Reno said, stumbling away from, and then back towards Rude. "First I take her in after she beatsh my ash, help wif the little girl, let her shleep in my bed, hold her when she criesh about her dead family, follow her on thish shtupid _thing_, busht her out of stupid prishon shell on shtupid ship, take care of her when she pashes out at the Canyon, jump out of a friggin' cable car after her, and coax her out of _inshanity_ for crying out loud. And now she's all giggly about that dumb cock? I will not _shtand for thish…_"

"You definitely won't be standing." Rude said, grabbing his friend by the arm. "You are going to be such an ass tomorrow, you will be so hungover."

"Shay, buddy… I think I needsh a little nap."

"No shit?" Rude muttered, kicking the door to the Inn open. Cyrene, Oedipus, Yetta and Vincent were all sleeping on various benches and couches in the lobby. All of them sat up with weapons pointing at the door.

"Nothing is sacred anymore, is it?" Rude asked, holding his hand up.

Vincent lowered his gun. "It's just you."

"And meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Reno said.

"Do something with him before I shoot him." Oedipus said, rubbing his eyes with the back of his gun hand.

"It's two in the morning." Cyrene muttered.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll haul him upstairs." Rude grumbled, Reno singing idly at nothing. "What a paaaaaaaaaaaaal."

Rude threw him down on the bed next to Alcestis, not thinking. Only when he heard a muffled "What in the name of-?" did he realize that he had thrown Reno on top of Jaden. Rude's eyebrows went up considerably.

"Alcestis, get this guy off me."

"Sure, honey." Alcestis said, casually flicking a finger and sending Reno careening into the wall. Reno got up quickly, his hands in fists.

"Don't pish off a drunk Turk, bitch." Reno said, pointing a finger at her.

"Well aren't you a winner, getting drunk and coming back to yell at the woman." Jaden said, sitting up.

"No, no." Alcestis said, putting a hand on his chest and pushing him back down. "I'll take care of this." Alcestis stood on the bed, facing Reno. "I don't need you anymore, or anybody else here. Jaden and I will do it all on our own, without the help of anyone."

Nereid cleared her throat, having been residing on the floor. Alcestis glared at her. "Not even you, gagighandi. My love and I will do it all alone."

"Your love?! _Your love?!_ What the hell, Kesh-"

"I go by _Ally_."

"_I _was the one who took you in! I fed you, let you shleep in my bed, shaved you from the WEAPON, brought you back to reality, shaved you on the ship, looked out for you at Costa Del Sol! Kesh, how can you shay that shtuff to me?"

"Simple. _I hate you_."

Reno stumbled forward, leaning against the bedpost for support. "Kesh… Kesh… you don't… you can't shay that…"

"She can and she does!" Jaden said snappishly.

"You shut the hell up!" Reno said.

Jaden pulled a fist back, sending it hurtling towards Reno. Rude reached out, grabbing the man's fist and squeezing until the bones ground under his grip, yielding a sickly cracking noise.

"You have no room to be harming Reno. He has been a true friend to Alcestis." Rude said. "If you hurt Reno, I'm afraid I will have to kill you. And I will not pretend I will regret it, either."

Jaden smiled widely in a twisted manner. "Go ahead and try." His eyes flashed with a strange green light.

"Cyrene!" Rude shouted. "Get up here _now_."

"Kesh, how can you not shee what thish guy ish?"

"Quiet, fool." She replied. Reno's eyes shone in disappointment, his face contorting into a mask of drunken confusion and sobered sadness.

Cyrene dashed into the room, breathless, her scepter held out in front of her.

"What… what is it-"

Nereid growled at Jaden, whose eyes were glowing with an ominous light. "There is a wolf in sheep's clothing in my mage's bed."

"What _are _you?" Rude asked, taking a couple of steps back.

A strangely deep voice emanated from the man's chest. "I am… _the lover_."

"Holy what the hell?!" Rude said, his back bumping into the wall.

Tendrils of green, glowing slime began to drift out from his mouth.

"Get down!" Vincent shouted, arriving up the stairs, quickly followed by Oedipus and Yetta. Alcestis' body began to float in the air, drifting idly. Reno's hands fixed themselves solidly around her ankle, yanking in his drunken stupor.

"I own my beloved." Jaden cackled malevolently. "Furthermore, I have hidden two of your own." The slime began to ooze from his ears, his nose, the sockets behind his rolling eyes, floating through the air. "Kill me, and you lose them both. Wait too long, and you lose them both."

"Who's not here, _who's not here_?!" Cyrene rapped out.

"Tseng and Elena." Oedipus replied, his cutlass drawn and facing the man's throat.

"Why do we lose them if you die, scumbag?" Yetta threw out, her firearm aimed at Jaden's forehead.x

"I own them as I own my beloved. She cannot die, she has been protected, but… kill me, and you'll never find them. And if you do, their bodies will be… _frigid_ with death."

"Only if you find them alive will you find the cure for my beloved." he continued, slime now oozing out his ears and floating through the air. "Without me, she lives, but remains unanimated. You need her. That means you need me."

Silence hung thick in the air. The only sound was the _click-click-click_ of a three-barreled gun.

"What spell have you cast on her?" Vincent asked.

"You shall never know." And the slime sunk itself into Rude, and he collapsed onto the floor, his glasses askew. The slime began to whoosh through the air, as through trying to find its next target-

_Blam!_ Jaden collapsed on the bed, and faded into nothing. Vincent lowered his gun. "It's called Toxin. The only way to preserve a cure for it is to store it inside a human being."

"How do you-?" Cyrene began.

"Lucrecia…" Vincent sighed. "Studied it excessively. The presence of that slime-like substance literally freezes all body functions but does not allow life energy to leave the body as death would. Rude and Alcestis will both remain unable to wake forever if we don't find Tseng and Elena in the next hour."

"Why? I mean, wasn't that the case before?" Oedipus asked.

"Without the… _host_ to psychically keep the antidote intact, it will slowly seep into the body, being absorbed by the bloodstream."

"Can we make one?" Cyrene asked.

"Not unless you have a lab nearby and a bottle of slime to work with. And a hell of a lot more time than an hour."

Reno cradled Alcestis' limp body in his arms. "Kesh? Kesh?"

"I must stay here with my mage. I have failed to protect her, and must now watch over her." Nereid said.

"I'll watch out for Rude." Yetta said, shaking him slightly. "He took care of me that whole time, it's only fair I watch out for him, now."

"Looks like Reno's going nowhere. It's up to us three." Cyrene muttered.

Oedipus glared at Cyrene. "Great. Just what I always friggin' wanted."

"Shut the hell up." Vincent murmured. "We've got to work together if we're going to get this done. We'll have to stick together…there's no point in splitting up, Cyrene is necessary to remove the antidote from the body-"

"Why?" Cyrene asked.

"Removing the antidote from the body is a complicated process that will require a lot of healing magic as it occurs."

"But why?"

"The antidote needs to be stored in an organ, to be kept warm, to bring heat and hence animation back to the unanimated being." Vincent's eyes narrowed considerably. "And because this creature fancied himself _The Lover_, my guess is that he stored it in a heart. Which means that you're going to need to use your best healing spells to reattach its tissues once it is removed."

Cyrene's eyes widened. "I… I don't even know where to begin."

"Then don't." Oedipus said.

"Right now, we need to find them. Otherwise… well, otherwise a great many catastrophes are to follow." Vincent said.

Cyrene nodded, her eyes narrowed in apprehension. "Let's go."


	35. In which confessions are made

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **Hello again! Here's another chapter, freshly edited for your reading pleasure. :D Huzzah!

* * *

They had raided every house in town, Vincent thought, even as he, Cyrene, and Oedipus kicked over chairs in the tavern. Vincent stepped out of the tavern, leaving Oedipus and Cyrene to chew out the bartender. He flinched slightly in the dawning sunlight, knowing that they had perhaps ten minutes left.

He stepped into the middle of the square, doing his best to ignore the squabbling behind him.

"I thought mages were supposed to have some kind of sense about these things. How come you didn't know he was a monster?" Oedipus needled Cyrene with haughtier.

"Shut the hell up, Oedipus. None of us knew." Cyrene replied, her teeth grinding.

"Perhaps you should've."

"You know, Ode, at least before your operation, you had _half a brain_. Now you've got two little brain cells floating around, and every once in a while they'll make contact and word vomit will come out of your mouth."

"You know, I always thought the problem with you was that you were in lov-"

"Shut the hell up, both of you." Vincent said, turning. "We have a crisis a little bit more urgent than your grudges of the past. I understand that you don't get along. But your mind needs to be here, and now. There are lives riding on this. Perhaps the existence of our world. Now, more than ever, your mind needs to be focused on our current objective, for if it is not, we will all perish. A madman from the past will take control of the world, burning it to the ground. Mass hysteria will explode in every settlement. Out of fear and panic, children will run from their parents and unwittingly into the jaws of wolves. Adults will abandon their homes and shift from place to place until the fires of a madman's failed love and ambitions incinerate them. Now is the time to act, to reconcile, and to _work together_. Use your goddamned heads."

Vincent turned his back to them. "Monsters like that always betray themselves in some way," he muttered. "Think, think about what he said… he must've said something to give himself away…"

"He said something about us not being able to find them." Oedipus said.

"What a real help." Cyrene said scathingly.

"He was right." Oedipus replied.

"By the time we find them, their bodies will frigid with death." Vincent murmured.

"All bodies are cold with death." Cyrene said. "The blood stops flowing, etc."

"But he put emphasis on the word, frigid. But that argues with the whole situation; the antidote would keep the blood warm even after the body died, so…"

Vincent banged on the nearest door. "Is there a cold cellar in town?" He asked the resident. "A freezer of some sort?"

"Certainly." The resident, a feeble old man, replied. "Right here, in the village square. Just pull out that manhole cover, there." He said pointing. "It's the community refrigerator. The rich folks got their own sections, of course, but the entrance is right there in the middle of town."

"Thank you, sir." Vincent turned towards the center of the square, finding Oedipus already hauling Tseng and Elena out of the cellar.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno shook Rude vehemently, exasperated. Yetta slapped his hand. He went back to cradling Alcestis, feeling his drunkenness wear off and a hangover beating his brains. Foremost was the gaping hole in his chest, the desperate feeling of a cavernous emptiness. "Oh Kess, I wish I had told you, I wish I could save you…"

"Told her what?" The Gagighandi snapped quickly.

"Ah, not so loud, yo." Reno muttered, rubbing his temples. "Nothing. It's nothing to you."

"Well I suggest you make a point to tell her in the event that we can wake her." Nereid said quaintly.

Reno nodded, and held Alcestis' face close to his chest. _Given half a chance, I would tell her now, I think. Why didn't I feel this way at the Saucer? Because of the adrenaline? Because I could save her? Now I can't, yo. I'm useless here. Kess, if only you could know without me telling you, yo_.

Vincent kicked the door open, holding an unconscious Tseng in his arms. Oedipus came in directly behind him, cradling Elena. They set the two down on the bed, Reno scooping Alcestis out of the way, holding tightly to her figure as they sat on the floor.

"The trick is figuring out which one of them has the antidote stuck inside them." Vincent said, looking between the two.

"Why does it matter? If one doesn't have it, we'll just get it from the other." Oedipus asked.

"Because we don't want to open a chest cavity if we don't have to." Vincent replied, wracking his brain. "We don't want to jeopardize both of their lives."

Nereid nudged each of them with her nose.

"They smell different." She commented.

"We found them in a freezer. They ought to." Oedipus said.

"I mean something besides frozen raw meat."

"One of them has the antidote we need embedded in their organs." Vincent said. "Can you tell which one?"

"This one," Nereid said, sniffing Tseng, "smells like… well, rather like sex."

"Like _sex_?" Cyrene asked, her face scrunching up as she leaned against the wall.

"Well, like pheromones. Probably the way his body reacts to fear. But this one," she sniffed Elena. "She smells very fearful. Sweaty. Like her temperature rose considerably."

"Like her body was trying to fight something off." Oedipus said.

"Like something embedded in her heart. All right… I don't suppose anyone has a sanitized surgical cutting tool laying about." Vincent said, his face betraying no emotion while his voice conveyed a pleasant hum of urgency.

From nowhere, Oedipus pulled a sealed bag with a set of surgical tools inside.

"How the hell do you _do_ that?" Cyrene asked. "You have got all kinds of crap hidden in that armor. Where does your lance go when you're not using it?"

Oedipus smirked a little. "Long story."

Vincent took the bag from his hand. "I am afraid I have no experience with this." He said idly.

Cyrene took the package from his hand. "I had to perform a field surgery once." Her eyes glazed a little, and she shook her head. She pulled back Elena's jacket and work shirt, exposing the soft flesh between her breasts. Delicately, she sliced open Elena's chest, directly down the center, pressing against the sternum with extra force. She gently pried open the ribcage, and saw a fragile glass vial lodged in Elena's heart. She tenderly slid the vial out with one hand, the other hand hovering over the still beating heart, a light glow emanating from her fingers. Before their eyes, the heart's tissue began to knit itself together, the bleeding that had overtaken her chest cavity clearing up. Cyrene's eyebrows drew together considerably. She closed her eyes for a moment, handing the vial to Vincent. _Please, powers that be, allow this woman to live. Allow me to save her._ She put both hands to work, hovering over Elena's chest. Bit by bit, the tissue began to mend itself, pulling together in a bizarre way. Oedipus had to look away for a moment. Ultimately, she closed and sealed the ribcage. Elena woke up, coughing.

"What… the hell… just happened?"

Cyrene laid her hand over Tseng's face. He, too, woke up coughing. "…the hell?" He muttered.

"Just hold on for a moment." Cyrene said, kneeling next to Reno.

"You have to let me see her, Reno."

"No." Reno muttered, holding Alcestis tightly to his chest. "You can do what you need to do while she's in my arms. I'm never letting her go again, yo."

Cyrene nodded, her lips quirking. She took the vial from Vincent and pulled on Alcestis' chin. Gingerly, she poured half the vial's contents into her mouth.

Reno couldn't count how many heartbeats passed as the liquid drifted down Alcestis' throat. He held her near, as close as he could manage without crushing her, still cradling her on the floor. Every pair of eyes in the room was focused on the pair. Reno felt his control slipping. He was going to go mad if her eyes didn't flutter open.

Luckily for him… they did.

"R-reno? Reno, is that you?" Reno felt his heart thumping hard against the inside of his ribcage.

"Kess! Thank holy, yo!" He cried, holding her tightly. Small, barely noticeable tears leaked out the sides of his eyes. Alcestis brushed them away with amazement.

"Rude!" Yetta shouted. "Give it to Rude!"

The focus in the room switched to Rude, Yetta cradling his head as Cyrene administered the antidote.

But, knowing Rude would be okay, Reno's eyes didn't move.

"Alcestis." He murmured. "Kess, kess, kess."

She put a hand up to his face. "Reno. Reno reno reno." She laughed a little, weakly. He smirked. "What is it?" she asked.

"I…" Reno hesitated. _How do you explain to someone… how do you tell them that… after all this time, I've only just realized the extent…_ "I should've said this… a long-ass time ago, yo."

She inclined her head slightly, her sleepy, half-open eyes confused.

"Reno, what-"

"I love you, yo."

Alcestis' breath caught, her mouth slightly open. A lulling feeling in her chest swelled into a feeling she didn't recognize, and couldn't identify. Reno's face was one of pure relief and terror combined.

"Reno." She said, wrapping her arms as tightly around him as she could manage. "I…" she hesitated. What was she going to say? She didn't… or did she? What if…?

_Screw it all to hell._ _I'll say what I mean_.

"Reno. I… I love you too." She kissed him gently on the cheek. "Yo."

The small smile on his face was enough to send her heart racing. She entwined her fingers in his fire-red hair and smiled in return.

With the excitement on the other side of the room as Rude stirred, no one noticed them kiss.


	36. In which there's a tearful reunion

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **This hasn't been updated in quite a while, but now that I'm out of school I've decided to finish it. I still have a lot of stuff written from before, and that will make up the next few chapters (I almost cringe to read it now, I've improved a lot, I think), but much of the later content will be written recently (though I've had the plot outlined for quite some time).

I started writing this… wow, six years ago. My writing has improved a lot, and you can almost tell sometimes the places where this work was put down and picked up, because my writing style has changed or grown, or I'm trying out something new. This fic was for fun and to help me learn and improve, and it occupies a special place in my heart.

I'm writing an original novel now, and it didn't seem right to leave this unfinished.

For anyone who has read this from start, thank you for your support. For anyone reading this now, thank you, too!

* * *

The group of them had managed to cram onto the small benches in a small Gongagan park while eating ice cream. Alcestis' head was flooded with memories of her childhood as she tasted the butter pecan. It had been a couple of days since the "green slime incident", but her head was still thumping like mad.

"What the hell was that guy?" Yetta asked, breaking the silence.

"Jaden was no figment of my imagination." Alcestis said. "He was my first boyfriend, it's true. And I didn't remember us breaking up because we never did." She sighed. "The part I didn't remember was that he died when I was fifteen. Killed by ShinRa when they were taking Jessie away. He was going to be a martial artist, but didn't complete his training."

"That doesn't answer my question." Yetta replied, stuffing another spoonful in. "_What the hell was that guy?_"

"A cadaver-clone. They have the ability to suspend the life force in others. Black magic is used to clone the body of a person who is no longer living, then to animate that clone with specific goals in mind. They are given all the memories and skills the person had while living. Since it's been a few years since he died, I imagine they had to do a little aging on him." Vincent remarked, eating strawberry ice cream.

"How do you know all this shit?" Elena asked, shaking her head.

"Lucrecia invented the concept, sadly." Vincent said. "As part of her work with cloning before the Jenova project."

"That broad did nothing if not make you knowledgeable about weird-ass crap." Oedipus muttered.

"So why didn't you remember that Jaden had died?" Yetta asked.

"I believe that blue ball the gagighandi shot into her head was intended to modify her memory somewhat." Nereid said.

"But Alcestis, didn't you hate Jaden? Every time Reno came in the room, you'd call him Jaden, and then you'd call him an obscenity and throw him into the wall." Cyrene said.

"I was reliving a memory." Alcestis said, staring at her ice cream. "After Jaden died, I went to his grave and cursed him for leaving me alone. If he hadn't died, then I'd still have something to live for here in Gongaga." She blinked at the butter pecan before continuing. "It may sound strange, but I was angry at him for dying, like 'how could you leave me alone like this?'. I know it's not logical, but that was how I felt." A corner of her mouth tugged into a smile when she felt Reno's arm settle on her shoulders. "About a year after his death, I left Gongaga to search for my siblings. And ultimately, I ended up here. With all of you."

Yetta gave a big grin. "We like you, Alcestis!"

"Do we?" Oedipus muttered.

Cyrene elbowed him hard in the stomach. He grunted.

"Yes, I suppose we do." He said.

"There's something else I have to tell all of you." Alcestis said, turning her head up towards the sky, resting the back of her skull in the crook of Reno's arm. "It turns out that I'm actually descended from Pandia. It has to be me who defeats Ajax. So we'll end up in a confrontation with him for certain." She brought her head forward and gazed at the rest of the party. "You're welcome to leave now and return home if you would like."

Tseng laughed openly.

"What? What's so funny?" She asked.

"Are you kidding? We all knew the risks when we picked up these positions. And do you have any idea how much we're getting paid to do this? Once this is over, we're all going to be exceedingly rich. I can get that three bedroom condo in Costa Del Sol when this is done." Tseng said.

"What about you, Vincent, Nereid? You're not getting paid to be here."

"It is the right thing to do." Vincent said. "To prevent Lucrecia's fears and protect you from harm, it is the right thing for me to be here and do what little I can."

"You are my mage. It is my purpose to watch over you." Nereid said. "What a silly thing for you to ask."

Alcestis nodded gratefully. Silence ensued for a few moments, and then the buzz of conversation picked up as they spoke amongst themselves. She chanced a glance at Reno, who had long finished his ice cream and was daydreaming, watching the clouds overhead.

"Reno?"

"What is it, yo?"

"Do you really… y'know…"

He turned to look at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Love me?"

He smirked. "When it comes to that kinda crap, I rarely say things I don't mean, yo."

"You realize that that means you have to bear the cost of my actions, right?"

"Nereid gets the physical cost, right?"

Alcestis nodded. "I guess. But if that's so, what do you…?"

"I think we've already established that you need… _emotional_ support here, Kess. I guess that's what I'm here for, yo." He leaned over and whispered into her ear. "And if you need anyone to help you with that lust thing…"

"Reno, you are an _ass_."

"Doesn't stop you from liking me, now does it?" He smiled to himself, full of self-satisfaction. "Besides which, do you have any idea how _long_ it has been since I last had sex? This is the longest I've gone without it since I lost my virginity, yo."

"And when did you lose it?"

"When I was about sixteen. I think I was drunk, though, 'cause I don't remember it very well."

Alcestis shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey, I grew up in the slums, remember? I didn't have the best things going for me, especially my behaviors." He faced forward. "I'm lucky things turned out the way they did for me, yo."

She examined his profile for a moment. "Yeah, me too." _Otherwise, I wouldn't have ever met you_.

She felt Reno squeeze her shoulders a little, and smiled.

She knew that Tseng would pull her aside for planning later in the day, so she allowed her worries to float to the back of her mind. For now, she would stare up at the cloudy sky and imagine what her life might be like once all of this was done with. Then she sat forward, suddenly realizing that there was one last thing she had to do.

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis wandered down the old street, so familiar to her, yet so foreign. Reno walked along a couple of steps behind her, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Holy, everything seems so different… yet it is as though nothing has changed…" She murmured, her eyes looking about curiously.

"I don't mean to put any pressure you, Kess, but Tseng and the gang are packing all of our crap up right now. We have to get moving again, we don't have a lot of time, yo." Reno said gently, yawning. Sleep had not come to him easily the past few days.

"Right, I know… we're here." Alcestis stopped in front of a pleasant house, and to Reno it appeared more or less identical to every other one in Gongaga, but Kess looked at it with deep affection in her eyes. She knocked on the door tentatively, and a middle-aged woman answered the door curiously.

"Hello, Mrs. Fair, it's… er…" Alcestis cast her eyes down.

"Oh, little Alcestis! How big you've grown!" The woman threw her arms around her and dragged her inside. "Oh, your friend can come in too, come on now, she gestured kindly, and Reno sheepishly grinned and stepped inside, politely wiping his shoes on the rug. He heard Mrs. Fair murmur to Alcestis, "that's a handsome one, there." Alcestis blushed furiously.

Mr. Fair came from an adjacent room, his face glowing. "Alcestis, we hadn't heard from you in a few months, we feared the worst, and here you are in town. We'd heard rumors that it was a young mage had defeated the Foremost, who would've known that it would be you." He hugged her gently, and guided her to a nice dining table, where the four of them sat, Mrs. Fair with tears in her eyes and a big smile, fussing over Alcestis' jacket.

"So what have you been up to the past few months, dear?" Mr. Fair asked, glancing pointedly at Reno, who felt the most uncomfortable in his life that he could recall.

"Well, I encountered a group of Bandits not far from Midgar, and I ended up working with Tifa Lockhart, remember, I think I wrote to you about that." She said, she babbled on and on, talking about moving in with Reno, at which point Mr. Fair's eyebrows raised significantly, and Mrs. Fair giggled in a most girlish way. Reno smiled awkwardly. She continued on and on about where they had traveled, and glossed over the details where there were battles and kidnappings. She did not mention their quest, and Reno inclined his head as each obvious opportunity to mention it passed.

"And we came by Gongaga so I could see my hometown." She said, finally out of breath.

"Well, we're glad you did. We've missed you very much, these five long years you've been away." Mr. Fair said, the crows feet by his eyes growing larger with a sad smile.

"I was worried you might not eat right. You always liked sweets a child, couldn't get you to eat your supper properly." Mrs. Fair, leaning in to hug Alcestis again.

Alcestis nodded, and looked at Reno. "Could you… excuse us for a moment?"

Reno gave her a doubtful look, but nodded and left the room. As soon as he had passed into the hallway, he knew why.

"I know what happened to Zack." Alcestis said quietly. Reno strained his ears to hear the silence that followed.

He listened tentatively to the intimate family moments that followed, with tears obviously flowing from everyone in that little dining room. He turned his head to the side, his eyes studying the hallway's odd little rug. ShinRa had done a lot for technology and comfortable living. But they had screwed a lot of families, just like this one. Reno decided that things at ShinRa were going to change pretty directly. He was second in the chain of command of the Turks, which meant he had more than enough power to throw around back at HQ. Maybe he could stop tragedies like this from happening again.

When Kess finally came out of the room, her face was red and blotchy, but she was smiling again. The happy family chatted for a moment, and Reno stood away from them, until Mr. Fair shook his hand and said "Take good care of our daughter, sonny. If you don't, I'll have to gut you."

"I'll try, yo." He pulled the little tropical fish out of his pocket and handed it to Mrs. Fair. "A gift, just in case you needed something else to nurture."

"Oh, isn't he sweet? Hold onto this one, he's a real looker, Alcestis, dear."

They were shuffled out the door, Mrs. Fair bawling the whole way, waving at them with fervor, while Mr. Fair stood next to her, waving with less enthusiasm.

As they walked down the street, Reno put an arm around his favorite mage, and realized he knew what they were fighting for.

-~-*Å*-~-

"All right, everyone." Tseng said, pulling out a map and laying it down on the table of the pub. "Our next course of action is to find the Potestas Summon."

"But I thought no one knew where to find it." Yetta piped up.

"No one does. But we have to find it before Ajax does, now don't we? Since it is reasonable to assume that it was left in Narcissa's kingdom at the time of his downfall, it is simply a matter of deducing where her kingdom might have been." Tseng replied.

"So what we really need is someone who might know where her kingdom was." Vincent interjected.

"Right." Tseng replied. "The problem being, if even the Library in the Ancient Forest had no knowledge of it, where are we going to look?"

"The answer is Wutai." Alcestis supplied, pointing to it on the map. "Wutai is truly the only other place on this Planet that possesses enough resources to search for the Summon or the Kingdom. Furthermore, Ajax is reportedly besieging Wutai. He may have a motive beyond resources for searching there. Let's face it, after the war with ShinRa, their resources are significantly less than what they once were. Until we can gather more information on Ajax's movements, it's probably the best place to start."

"Can I say something?" Yetta asked raising her hand. Tseng nodded, and she took a deep breath. "I was head of the Turks' operations over in Wutai, much like Tseng is for Midgar. Until he requested me for this thing, anyway. Anyhow, while I was there, we'd received reports of a small society that was hoarding vital scientific information regarding their archaeological digs, and it's very odd for scientists not to publish their findings. I think they may have found Narcissa's old kingdom someplace."

"Excellent. We'll begin there." Tseng said, rolling up the map. "We don't know how much time we have. Now, it's a race with a crazy knight for an object of unknown power. So let's get moving."

After their final equipment checks, Reno threw a sizeable bag of gil to the bartender and the group left the tavern, heading out the gates. There, Alcestis paused.

"Kess?" Reno said gently.

Alcestis stared out at the town for a moment, her hand reaching out just slightly. She drew it back and sighed. "It's… I can go. It's not home anymore. Home is…" She brushed her fingers from her forehead to her chin and turned. She nodded at the group, who nodded in return, Nereid nuzzling her leg. "Let's go."


	37. In which Reno is eaten by a giant snake

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **And here's another. Enjoy!

* * *

"Why do I feel like we've been here before?" Yetta said, throwing herself down on the grass.

"Because we _have_ been here before, dolt." Oedipus replied, running an armored hand through his hair. "This is the very same plain we traveled through to get from the Gold Saucer to Cosmo Canyon."

"Are we going to have to go through those same mountains again?" Yetta asked, her hand going to her ribs unconsciously.

"No." Rude said quietly. "Just the edge of them."

"Thank Holy for that." Cyrene said, helping Yetta up. Vincent nodded in agreement.

"Come on, everyone, we've still got another three hours before we can break, yo." Reno said, holding Alcestis' hand with a jovial smile. She too, was smiling a bit.

"Why can't we break now?" Yetta whined a little.

"We want to make it to the mountain edge by nightfall, idiot." Elena said bitingly. "Unless, of course, you'd rather we stay in the middle of the plains again."

The entirety of the party groaned. They had been attacked by ninjas every single night. Tseng had a broken arm from the incident, which Cyrene was slowly but surely healing. Evidently, his elbow had shattered.

Nereid trotted ahead of the group idly. Suddenly, she stopped, perfectly still.

"Nereid? What is it?" Alcestis asked, her heart rate increasing.

"I smell… something… it's coming… with malicious intent."

"Well, shit." Reno said, pulling out his rod. He glanced at Alcestis, who was clutching her staff rather tightly, her right eye-tooth biting the edge of her lower lip.

"Everyone, look around! We're in the middle of the plains, they can hardly sneak up on us." Tseng ordered, pulling out a gun with his good arm.

"Alcestis, no magic." Cyrene ordered, bringing her scepter up.

"Why? It's been a week since Gongaga."

"Because I want to make absolutely sure nothing else happens. No magic until the next settlement, hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah." Alcestis muttered. "Staff-only combat it is."

Oedipus put a hand to the ground. "Whatever it is, it's big. The vibrations it's causing are massive."

Tersely, the group continued to look about, mystified.

"There is nothin-AAAAGH!" Yetta screamed as the ground beneath her began to collapse. Rude grabbed her arm and yanked, tossing her. Oedipus deftly caught her and set her down as a gigantic snake emerged from the ground. Elena screamed.

"What the hell is that thing?" She shouted.

"It's a Subterranean Zolom. A relative of the Midgar Zolom, except that it typically lives in caves or underground." Cyrene shouted, backpeddling swiftly. "They usually live over on the continent and island chain of Mideel. I have no idea why it would be over here." The party watched, panicked, as more and more of the creature's body emerged from the ground.

"It couldn't possibly have been sent after us by our enemies, could it?" Elena shouted sarcastically.

"Look at the symbol on its underside, just below its head." Nereid shouted over the roar of the ground shifting.

"It's the same square within a circle thing that was on Ajax's armor!" Alcestis screeched.

"Well, shit!" Reno shouted again. "Has it got a weakness, yo?"

"It did." Cyrene said, continuing to backpeddle. "Its throat under its head where that symbol is."

"What do you mean did?" Elena said. She shot her gun – the bullet bounced off the snake's throat with such force that Yetta shrieked as it whizzed past her ear.

"That symbol is obviously protecting its one weak point." Cyrene answered. "And I'm afraid its skin is otherwise totally impenetrable."

"Cyrene, you've got to let me use magic."

"Sadly, Alcestis, it would not help." She responded, leaping spectacularly out of the way as the beast lunged for her.

"Well we've got to do something!" Yetta shouted, frustrated. "I can't believe we're having to fight this motherfucking snake on this motherfucking plain!"

"Yetta! Language!" Tseng shouted.

"Shut the hell up, Tseng, like you've any room," Oedipus said scathingly.

"We do not have time to argue about this, we've got to do something!" Alcestis said. Being snake food was not her idea of an honorable death.

"I've got an idea, yo." Reno said, running forward. "Hey you! Big ugly serpent! Come and get some nice, red meat! Over here, yo! OVER HERE!"

"RENO!" Alcestis screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Just trust me, yo." He turned and gave her a winning smile as the Zolom struck, swallowing Reno whole.

Alcestis' eyes were wide with horror, and the top of her staff began to glow, her voice raw from the screams she could not hold back.

The beast writhed above her, its jaws snapping this way and that. It went down for Oedipus, who managed to smack it away with the force of the blow from his lance.

And all of a sudden, the beast's throat exploded, and a large figure came spinning out. Reno landed on his feet in a crouch as the snake collapsed behind him.

Covered in blood, snake skin, and venom, Reno was not the most appealing sight in the world. Alcestis threw her arms around him anyway. She then stepped back, now covered in uck, and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Don't you dare ever do anything like that to me ever again. I thought you were dead, Reno Ferren, and I almost lost my temper."

"What the hell, Kess? It worked, didn't it?."

"Be careful. You don't want to see me lose my temper." She said coldly, stalking off.

-~-*Å*-~-

By nightfall they'd reached the edge of the mountains. Yetta would touch the side of her ear every once in a while, certain that Elena's bullet had grazed her though there had been no mark.

Alcestis laid out a blanket, sat on it, and began to organize her materia, her jaw set, her eyes determinedly not looking at anyone. Cyrene pulled at her collar, feeling uncomfortable with being anywhere near the mountains. Oedipus sharpened his cutlass with materials that he had pulled from nowhere. Tseng and Elena sat together a little ways off, discussing something privately. Rude and Vincent sat next to one another, both characteristically silent, and Nereid had wandered off again, presumably to find yet more materia.

Reno sat down next to Alcestis gingerly, getting the feeling that he wasn't going to like what she would say.

"I'm sorry, yo."

She brought her head up enough to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "What for?"

"I…" He twisted his lips. He wasn't sure. All he knew was that she was upset, and it was somehow his fault.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Reno, but if you don't even know what you're sorry for, then it doesn't mean very much."

"Damnit, Kess, what did I do? I killed the snake, yo. Is that a problem? Do you have a special fondness for large serpents that like to eat people?"

"No, Reno." Her eyes flashed as she sat up straight. "You gave me a goddamn heart attack. I've never felt so much fear in my entire life. I've lost damn near everyone I ever really cared about. You are all I have, and I thought I was about to lose you, too."

Reno realized his mouth was hanging open, so he closed it. "I'm sorry, Kess. I didn't mean to cause you fear, but somebody had to do something. I usually know what I'm doing, yo, you don't need to worry."

"But I do." She sighed. "Look, I'll… I'll try to trust in your abilities more, I guess. But please, warn me that it's not what it looks like before you go charging into the mouth of an abnormally large snake next time, okay?"

He chuckled. "It's cool, yo."

"GODDAMN HOLY MOTHERFU-" Rude jumped, and Vincent leaped away as well.

"What, what?" The party was up and moving, weapons drawn, pointed at the source of the disturbance.

Nereid's head stuck conspicuously out of the ground, and her cheeks appeared bloated. "Don shoof. I haf a mouf ful of maferia."

She dug herself the rest of the way out, and opened her jaws, the little glowing balls bouncing slightly as they hit the ground. "Nereid, don't do that ever again." Tseng said, rubbing his forehead. "Never."

"Yes, sir." She said, very tongue-in-cheek.

They each laid themselves down to rest, Vincent offering to stand watch, unable to sleep near the mountains anyway.

Reno put his hands behind his head, surveying the stars, noticing clouds drifting overhead at a staggeringly slow pace. He gently chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking. _Kess and I… what are we now? We're not just buddies anymore, yo. She wants me to start taking her feelings into consideration with what I do. Are we in a… Holy, what is the friggin' word… relationship? I told myself I wouldn't get inta one o' those. But here I am, yo._

He looked over at Alcestis, who was on her side, facing away from him, but breathing too heavily to be asleep.

"Hey Kess?"

"Yes, Reno?"

"When we get back to Midgar, you want to go out and get dinner or somethin'?"

Alcestis remained silent, and did not move.

Reno furrowed his brow, concerned. "H'lo?"

Alcestis rolled over to face him, a look of amused bewilderment dancing across her features. "Reno, did you just ask me on a date?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so, yo."

She smiled, laughed a little, and said "Yeah, sure. It'll be a change from me making dinner."

He grinned. "All right."

She rolled back over into her more comfortable position, sighing contentedly, and Reno smirked. _I always knew she wanted me, yo. _Heexamined her back, its delicate shoulder blades curving down. He thought about wiggling over behind her, fitting his body in behind hers, dragging his lips down the side of her neck, feeling her involuntary shiver…

Reno turned his face back towards the sky, allowing his eyes to droop, a small smile on his face.


	38. In which dreams are shared

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

* * *

"Reno. Reno. _Reno._"

Reno continued snoring.

"Sweet Holy Mother, _Reno_, wake _up!_"

Reno blinked several times, his eyes finally opening, staring up into the night sky as something pushed on his shoulder. He was suddenly rolled over, having been pushed, and stopped flat on his face. Half awake, he groaned. "What was that for?" he said into the ground.

"You were on my _face_." Alcestis said, rubbing her nose. "You rolled over right onto my face." She put her other hand on her forehead. "You are an absolute menace."

Reno propped himself up on his elbows, rotating his shoulder back. "Sorry, Kess. You're just so damn comfortable, yo."

She sighed. "I'm sure my nose makes a great pillow for your neck."

With mischief glinting in his eye, he reached out with one arm and pulled her closer, trapping her under his torso.

"Gotcha." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, no, the terror. I am so terrified. I am trapped, someone help me." Alcestis deadpanned, yawning.

"You're funny. I like that." Reno said with a lazy smile. The dream he'd been having – the same dream he'd been having every night for the past three days – had left him feeling lecherous. He leaned over and kissed the side of her neck.

Just as he had anticipated, she shivered, the little movement going down her spine and back up. He smiled with deep satisfaction.

"You loooooooove me." He said playfully, inclining his head.

She smiled indulgently. "Yes, Reno, I'm afraid I do."

"It's nothing to be afraid of." He rubbed his nose against hers, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'll treat you gentle, I promise."

Alcestis stiffened at the innuendo, but remained silent, staring into his eyes without blinking.

Reno saw his face reflected in the dark jade of her irises in the starlight. "You are somethin' else, yo."

Still expressionless, she replied. "That's what people keep telling me."

"One o' these days," he said intently, all his senses on alert for her response, "I'm not just gonna tell you, yo. I'm gonna _show _you." He leaned down, kissed her chin, left a trail of kisses up her jawline, and lightly touched the tip of his tongue to her earlobe.

His body exploded in goosebumps. _She must've liked that, right? I really hope I'm not fucking this up_. Reno thought idly. "I knew you wanted me." He smirked at her with as much confidence as he could muster.

He certainly seemed self-assured to Alcestis, whose breath caught at the satisfaction evident on his face. She bit her lip out of nerves before replying. "Of course I do, Reno. _Look at you_. Your body is more magnificently sculpted than it has any right to be, and if anything in the world has ever aroused me, it's the way your wild, clever, conniving little mind works."

Reno felt his jaw drop a little. Did she just say she was aroused by him? And his mind?

"You're turned on by my brain?" He asked, dumbfounded.

She hesitated, wincing. "Yeah, sorry, I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear—"

"That's amazing, yo." Reno said. "You are the most awesome chick I have ever met." He grinned. "Now I _really_ want to hear you moan my name."

"Reno!" She said, aghast. "You are the single most _shameless—_honestly, do you think I'm that kind of woman?"

"Oh, I think you're _exactly_ that kind of woman, yo." He said, grinning unabated. "What else would you be doing falling in love with a scoundrel like me?"

"I get off on the danger." She said flatly, sarcasm coloring her tone. He burst out laughing.

"If you don't want me to seduce you, stop doing things like that."

"Reno, you are not going to seduce me."

"Of course I am! It was meant to be, yo. I bet the parts even fit together juuuuust right. Let me try."

Alcestis sighed. "You are truly incorrigible."

"Damn right I am, yo." He blinked slowly, his eyes focused on her face. "And maybe I wouldn't be if you weren't so mindblowingly _hot_."

"Have you felt this way the whole time?" She asked, honestly confused.

"Of _course_ I have. I'd be insane not to want you. Look at _you_, Kess. The curves of your body flow in just the right way, yo. How could I not want you? What am I, gay?"

She chuckled. "Well, I certainly wouldn't know anything about that_._ I mean, you and Rude are pretty close—"

"Shut the fuck up, you did not—Holy, I need to kill myself. The one woman I have ever really loved actually just impliedthat I have slept with my best friend. My life is over! It's all ruined, yo."

"Oh come on, Reno, you know I don't mean it."

"Do I? Now every time I try to get into your pants, I'm going to worry about whether or not you think I'm _gay_, yo." Reno said sulkily.

"Hey, I'm sorry." Alcestis said sincerely. "I was just teasing you. I didn't mean anything by it."

"You completely ruined my mood." He said sourly. "I've been having these wild and passionate dreams, every night, and when I go to make a move, she tells me I'm gay, yo. How did I go from easy lays to this?"

"Woah, woah, what are you talking about?" Alcestis screwed up her face. "Dreams?"

"Yeah, lady. _Dreams_. About you and your cute ass." Reno said, disgruntled.

"Do these dreams happen to start out in our apartment back in Midgar?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?" He grunted.

"On the couch, and you tell me I'm not daring enough, and then I take off your shirt, and then—"

"Holy shit, yo." Reno said. "You've been having the same dream."

"Actually, Reno," she said with a sigh, resigned to the truth of the situation. "You've been having _my_ dream. Welcome to the next stage of the mage-lover bond."

Reno grinned with delight. "_Your_ dream! Hell yes! Damn, woman, I hope you are every bit that wild in the sack, because—"

"You're not going to find out until Ajax is gone, so try not to think about it." Alcestis said with a grumpy expression.

"Try not to think about it? I just found out these wild dreams I have are machinations of your mind and not mine, babe. What must you be thinking about, yo?" he chuckled.

"Reno, if you knew the things that had been occupying my thoughts lately, it would blow your mind." She said bluntly. "I would shock you."

"Kess, there is not a desire in the world you could have that I would not do everything to fulfill, yo. If you give me half a chance," Reno said, his hand entangling in her hair, "I think I'd blow _your_ mind, yo."

"I believe it," she said honestly, putting a hand to his face, her thumb brushing his tattooed cheekbone. "You know, Reno, I've always wondered…"

"Eight inches."

"What?"

"Nothing. You've wondered what?" He prompted.

"Why did you get these tattoos?" she asked, her thumb drifting over his left cheekbone again.

"Oh, ha. Those."

Alcestis could sense he was not going to be forthcoming. "Yes, those. Why are they there?"

"Would you believe really, really drunk?"

"No."

He sighed. "How about born with them?"

"No." She said, frowning at him. "Well, maybe. I can't picture you without them."

He smiled. "Heh, well let's go with that, then, yo."

"Seriously, Reno."

"You're gonna think it's really stupid."

She rolled her eyes. "Aren't we past all that?"

"I got them when I was recruited into the Turks." He said. "I was pretty young when Tseng pulled me out of a street brawl in the slums. I started training, and when I became a full-fledged member a year later, I got these." He tapped his right cheekbone. "In another year, they were already sending me on the more difficult missions, and I was pretty well established, yo. I've got a reputation, you know. I'm very good at what I do," He said very seriously, his eyes boring into hers.

"You are. And that you've been with the Turks for so long… well, that certainly explains how you turned out the way you did." Alcestis said.

"Damn right. After a few years, I was second-in-command." He said with pride.

She tilted her head and kissed the tip of his nose. "Because you're quick, and strong, and brilliant."

"You really think that, yo?" He asked, his eyes slightly wider than normal, barely noticeable, carefully evaluating her features.

"Yes, I do. How not? I've only ever seen you excel at what you do."

He smiled sheepishly, and then tapped his cheekbone again. "So. Stupid?"

"Not stupid." She inclined her head a little, thinking a moment. "Meaningful."

Reno placed his hand behind her head, gently massaging the scalp. He leaned down and dragged his lips along her jawline, pausing with his cheek pressed against hers. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you, Reno."

He pulled back to smirk at her. "Love you too, Kess."

He leaned in again, intent—

"Reno, please." Her eyes darted to the side, where Rude was dead asleep not ten feet away, the others beyond him.

Reno's lips set in a grim line. "You know, one of these days, I am going to get you alone in a cushy little room, and you'll be all out of reasons to say no."

She smiled at him. "Sorry, I just didn't want to wake anyone with my raucous moaning."

He snorted. "Clever." He turned around and flopped on his back, feeling much abused. "I guess I'll catch some more z's. We're going to be at Nibelheim tomorrow, yo." Reno closed his eyes, waiting for slumber to take him.

Just as he was drifting off, he heard Alcestis speak.

"Not yet is not the same as no, Reno."

The corner of his mouth lifted a fraction as sleep claimed him.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Oh Reno. He's such a dork.

I should mention that I have unstinting support for the LGBT community; Reno is merely put out that Alcestis teased him about his relationship with Rude because she might think he's not genuine in his affection for her.


	39. In which Nibelheim is creepy

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** It feels so nice to have these chapters available. Please review if the mood strikes you :3

* * *

Nearing the gates of Nibelheim felt to Alcestis very much like approaching the jaws of a lion.

Upon entering, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, which they all knew was in and of itself, out of the ordinary. Alcestis turned her head one way and then the other, surveying the party. Tseng's eyes darted around, a special kind of paranoid. Sweat was beading on his forehead, and Elena gently patted him on the back in a futile effort to keep his blood pressure down. Yetta shivered, and muttered "this place gives me the creeps." Rude nodded in agreement, pulling at his collar anxiously. Cyrene kept glancing at Vincent, who said nothing nor allowed any flicker of recognition in his eyes. His eyes moved slowly to the side to locate the ShinRa manor once, but otherwise remained forward, as aware as ever.

Oedipus was haughty as usual, his posture tall and his nose upturned. He, too, however, was sweating a little, which made Alcestis smirk.

Reno walked on one side of her, strolling casually and whistling a little tune. Nereid padded along on her other side, her nose low to the ground.

She herself was not immune to the odd feeling that Nibelheim radiated. The place seemed so… normal. The quiet was disquieting.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Alcestis muttered.

"As you should. Has anyone ever heard of anything good happening here?" Reno asked.

They collectively shook their heads, and Tseng spoke. "We're just passing through, it should be all right." Alcestis couldn't decide if he was trying to convince them or himself.

"We're, uh, not gonna stay the night, are we?" Yetta asked, one hand rubbing her other arm's elbow.

"No." Tseng replied curtly. "There is a transport ship waiting for us at the coast not far from here."

"It's not the S.S. Cushy this time, is it?" Cyrene asked, disapproval apparent in her tone.

"I told Rufus if he sent us the S.S. Cushy again I'd have his head on a platter." Tseng replied. "He got quite a chuckle out of that little incident."

Just then, someone exited their home, and wandered into another. Their movements were slow, placid, and seemed to show no indication that they had any idea that the party was strolling through town. Nereid brought her head lower to the ground. "Something is not right here."

"No kidding." Alcestis said, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe normally from sheer nerves.

"Hey Tseng, the people here are just paid to act like this place wasn't ever an inferno, right?" Reno asked casually, his eyes sliding to the side as another person wandered onto the street from their home.

"Correct. Paid quite a lot, too, as I recall." Tseng replied, staring resolutely forward, his arm still in a sling.

"Then why are they all acting like zombies, yo?"

True enough, more people were gathering in the streets, now aware of their presence, their deadened eyes gazing hypnotically in their direction.

Yetta shivered again, and her hand found her gun. "Holy, it's like they're being… controlled by something."

"I think it would be wise to leave here as quickly as possible without appearing to hurry." Vincent said, his pace picking up with his words.

"Ehm, seconded." Oedipus said, his cutlass in his hand but at his side, as the crowd began to mumble incoherently.

As they walked along, the villagers began to walk towards them from all directons. They soon found themselves surrounded, and one of the drooling, stumbling villagers lunged at them.

Reno knocked the villager away with his rod. "Forgot not looking like we're hurrying, yo, let's get the hell out of here!"

Alcestis thrust her hands forward, and a sizeable amount of the crowd was knocked off their feet, creating something of a domino effect. They began to push their way through, and Elena screamed as a hand got a deathgrip on her ankle. Nereid bit down on the offending arm without mercy, and Elena took off for the gates on the opposite side of town.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Yetta screeched, running not far behind Elena.

"It would appear there are other forces at work here." Cyrene said, also running.

The others began to sprint as well, as the crowd got to their feet and began to chase after them with a strange hunger in their eyes, moaning loudly with bloodlust.

The villagers were closing in on them once more, and once through the gate, they shut it behind them. Still, the crowd threatened to push through. Alcestis turned, allowing the rest of the party to make for the coast as she cast a spell to deter them, one that she overdid in her panic.

A fireball flew from her staff and into the crowd, through it, and hit the Inn.

Alcestis turned and ran, finding herself afraid in a way she never had been her entire life, the fear that they would break through and devour her and her friends the way they seemed to desire to was all consuming, and she found a tear leaking down her face out of desperation to get away. She knew she would never return to Nibelheim.

The lot of them didn't stop running until they'd reached the ship at the coast, and when Alcestis turned back, she put a hand over her mouth to stop the anguished cry that threatened to escape her lips. They all turned, and could see black smoke rising into the sky from the horizon not far off, a sign that Nibelheim was once more being consumed in flames.

"Wow, you totally cooked that place." Yetta said, her mouth hanging open.

"You're like the Queen of sensitivity, Yetta." Elena said, whacking Yetta upside the head.

Alcestis' eyes filmed over. "What have I done?" She murmured. "All those people…"

Then, suddenly, as if it had never been there, the smoke disappeared.

"You do not need to worry about their lives, my mage." Nereid said, peering over the side of the ship as they set sail. "Whatever was controlling them is also protecting them. Couldn't allow their puppets to be decimated."

Alcestis let out a deep breath, but found her relief quickly eclipsed by worry that whatever they were fighting had just stopped a raging fire – no, had not just stopped it, but made it cease to exist. Reno rested a hand on the small of her back, and she visibly relaxed, though still tense.

"Holy, what are we up against that a magical fire is… and more importantly, how do we free those people of the magic that grips them?"

"It seems likely that they'll be freed of it when Ajax is defeated," Cyrene offered, tapping her chin.

"It doesn't bear thinking about at the moment." Vincent said, somehow standing on top of the cabin and looking out towards the ocean. "Let's get to Wutai alive first."

"Do you think it'll be that hard to get to Wutai, yo?" Reno asked casually, his rod in one hand, balanced on his shoulder.

"Yes," Vincent replied. "Yes, I do."

They collectively peered out towards the horizon, at the ships that appeared to be sailing towards them, their sails black.


	40. In which there are so many pirates

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** Dear readers: I love you! That is all.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me," Alcestis said, her palm hitting her forehead with a light _smack_.

"No, looks like we're going to have visitors in a little bit. Nice sails, though." Reno said, inclining his head a bit.

"They're not using a motor to get around?" Yetta asked, scratching the back of her head.

"They're pirates. They have motors, they just like having the black sails for giggles." Oedipus said, sighing, sharpening his cutlass.

Tseng exited the captain's cabin, looking grim.

"What's the situation, sir?" Rude asked, the first to realize he was back.

"We have cannons on the side of the ship, and it looks like at least three of us will be needed to fire them." He rubbed his forehead. "The Captain says he's accustomed to pirate attacks, but has never had to deal with two ships at once before."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Nereid asked, her feral eyes intense and her claws out.

"Meaning we're screwed." Tseng said. Alcestis found herself pitying the man. Poor guy could just not catch a break.

"Well, how exactly are we screwed?" Reno asked, leaning on the edge of the ship's railing. "I mean, if we blow 'em up, we can get the hell outta here and not have to deal with 'em anymore, right?"

"We have six cannonballs." Tseng replied. They collectively flinched. "Apparently, the Captain hasn't been able to restock since his last sea venture. We're in for a good time."

"What the hell would they be stopping us for? We don't have anything of value." Yetta said, twisting her lips.

"Yeah, but they don't know that." Alcestis answered her, gripping her staff with white knuckles. "For all they know we're a ShinRa Ship carrying a lot of very expensive, worth-while, something or another that they'd like to loot."

Reno began to do a little dance, chanting "rape, kill, pillage and burn", wiggling his body back and forth. When he realized he was being stared at, he stopped. "What? It's the pirate dance."

"Reno, you sure know how to kill a mood." Elena said, scratching the back of her head.

"The point is," Tseng said, moving things along. "We're going to have to deal with…" He sighed, shaking his head at the deck just in front of his feet. "Pirates. We're going to have to fend off pirates."

"Yes, Tseng, woe is you, woe is you." Oedipus said, continuing to sharpen his cutlass with disdain.

"Woe is going to be all of us in a couple of minutes," Cyrene said, keeping an eye on the horizon. "They'll be close enough to attack soon."

Alcestis rubbed her forehead and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was the story of her life.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno took a moment to reflect that this all had happened rather fast.

First, Rude, Tseng, and Vincent had taken the cannons in the basement of the ship, but no avail. All six cannonballs missed their mark, the result of absolutely atrocious steering on the part of the ship's Captain, who was so nervous he fainted when the pirates boarded them.

When the pirates came on board, the party had been overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and they now all found themselves tied to the mast of the little ShinRa Ship. One pirate was struggling to tie down Elena, who had made a run for it. She spat on him, he slapped her, and she kicked him very hard in the goods before another pirate finally got her arms tied down.

Now that they were all firmly restrained, their weapons tossed into a pile in front of them, the head pirate captain was pacing in front of them. Every once in a while he would trip for seemingly no reason, but Reno had a guess – Alcestis was trying to use her power. He could see the sweat beading on her forehead, and realized that she was still exhausted from Gongaga and the fireball she had tossed at Nibelheim. Magic would not get them out of this one.

The pirate captain stopped pacing and turned to Tseng, who he had guessed (correctly) was the leader of this operation. "I'd like you to tell me where on this ship you have hidden the goods you were shipping to Wutai."

Tseng rolled his eyes. "For the third goddamn time, we're not shipping anything. ShinRa is short on passenger ships, so we're using one of our supply ships to get to Wutai."

"I will slit your throat, don't think I won't." The pirate captain leaned into Tseng's face, and Tseng turned his head in disgust.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you what a breath mint is, you freak?" Elena said, giving the pirate captain a disdainful look. He backhanded her in response, and she spat blood onto his boots.

The pirate captain turned his attention back to Tseng, his arm still in a sling. He grabbed the arm and twisted it, a sickening cracking sound emitting from it. Tseng showed no sign of pain, except for the narrowing of his eyes in contempt.

Alcestis began to breathe heavy, and Reno maneuvered his hand to squeeze hers. "Relax, yo. I think Yetta's got an idea."

Sweat dripped down Alcestis' face. "I hope so. I need rest, badly." She said. Her head began to bob.

_Great, she's going to go unconscious. Just what we need right now, yo._ Reno moved his leg, bumping Rude, and whispered. "Are we getting out of this, or what?"

Rude turned his head slightly to answer. "Yetta said she's got a plan. With any luck we'll be out of these bonds soon to try another offensive."

"Listen, you punk-ass useless Pie-rat, we don't have anything for you to steal, and even if we did, you wouldn't get it, anyway." Yetta said.

"Holy, her blood is boiling." Oedipus muttered, tied down next to her, feeling her monstrous body heat.

And before they knew it, Yetta was somehow no longer restrained and had administered an elbow to the pirate captain's face, grabbed his cutlass, and in one magnificent slash, cut everyone free.

"Holy shit, Yetta, you're like a ninja!" Reno said, leaping forward to grab his rod.

"I worked in Wutai, remember? I _am _a ninja!" Yetta leaped forward, running another pirate through. "And everyone knows, when Pirates fight Ninjas, they always lose!" Her sword work was amazing, and almost immediately the tide began to turn in their favor, unlike before when they'd been caught unprepared.

Tseng grabbed a handgun and turned his head to the ShinRa Captain and crew. "Lock yourselves in the cabin. Things out here are about to get bloody."

They obeyed, running into the cabin, shutting the door behind them, the bolt making a loud clanking noise as it was slammed into place.

Vincent snapped up his precious Cerberus and began shooting pirates point blank through the forehead, leaping deftly away from their wildly swung swords.

Rude got a punch to the face before he sweep-kicked the offending pirate off of his feet. He picked him up by the collar of his shirt and brought his fist hard against the pirate's cheekbone, sending him flying into another pirate.

Alcestis reached forward, grabbed her staff, and promptly collapsed against the mast. Cyrene grabbed her scepter and ran to her, waving it about wildly in hopes of bringing her back to consciousness. "Cover us!" She screeched at Reno, who was shocking pirates into submission.

"I got you, I got you!" Reno replied, narrowly dodging a stabbing motion before kicking the offending weapon out of the pirate's hand, and shocking him in the chest. The pirate fell, immobile. He was suddenly knocked over by a sword-less pirate who tackled him. As Reno attempted to kick him off, another pirate ran forward to attack Cyrene's vulnerable back. Cyrene turned, putting an arm up, just as the pirate was thrown off course with a tackle from Nereid, who sunk her little tusks into his neck. She was sweating and tired as well – Alcestis' strain was her own.

Reno kicked the bastard off, grabbing a nearby cutlass and stabbing it through his neck, the blood spurting onto his uniform.

"You assholes are staining my shirts, yo!" Reno said, swinging his rod to the right in a back-handed sweep, knocking out two pirates who were trying to converge on the non-battling mages.

Vincent had climbed to the top of the mast and was leaning over, shooting down pirates who were attempting to climb up after him, knocking them down one after another. When he had a free moment, he carefully aimed at one of the wooden pirate ships next to their own ShinRa ship, and shot off his fire materia.

One pirate ship was now massively ablaze, and the pirates would have no escape on it. This was ending right here, right now.

Rude ducked another swinging cutlass, grabbed two pirates by their flamboyant clothes and tossed them over the edge of the ship.

Oedipus hugged his lance for a moment, happy to have it in his hands, before it seemed to disappear. He held up his own cutlass, and engaged in a mad sword fight with multiple pirates. Thrust, parry, duck, slash, kick – one down, six to go. He grinned, having not had this much fun in ages.

Elena was pinned against the mast by several pirates who'd gotten a hold of her limbs, overwhelmed by sheer numbers as they had all been before. One pirate licked her neck, and she shuddered in disgust. Suddenly, systematically, they all began to drop to the deck, fatally injured by bullets.

"No one licks my girlfriend but me, you pieces of filth." Tseng muttered, gritting his teeth.

Elena inclined her head at him. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

He smiled at her grimly, and ducked as she brought her gun up to shoot the pirate coming up behind him.

Alcestis coughed and opened her eyes, her vision blurry, but able to determine what was happening.

She saw a dark smudge topped with red moving this way and that. "You bastards aren't getting' your hands on Kess, damnit!" She could see something she thought was a leg up come up and forcefully push on back as on the other side she heard the distinct buzzing sound of flesh being shocked by his rod. She smiled a little. That was her man at work.

Many of the pirates had started to retreat to the other remaining ship, seeing their comrades fall one after another. As soon as a large quantity of them were back, Vincent fired off another blast from his fire materia, setting their ship ablaze and sentencing them all to death.

Rude threw down and stomped on the sternum of one pirate, and Cyrene, finally having brought Alcestis around, forcefully threw another over the edge of the ship. The last remaining pirate peon was skillfully knocked out by Reno, who brought his rod down so hard on the pirate's skull that his scalp split.

The final pirate was the Captain, who was only just now able to stand. A large, blunt, wooden object met his face, however, and he began to spin. He felt something sharp go through his shoulder and then stick into the mast behind him.

Alcestis ground the pointed end of her staff into the mast, securing the pirate captain there. Her body posture was tired, her skin slick and shiny with sweat, but her eyes were inflamed with irrational rage.

"Are you working for Ajax?" She asked quietly.

"What the hell is an Ajax?" He asked her.

"ARE YOU WORKING FOR AJAX?" She screamed, her eyes beginning to glow.

"No, no, I have no idea what you're talking about!" The pirate captain replied, very clearly afraid.

"Don't give me your shit, you asshole! You're working for Ajax, you're here to stop us, to hit us while we're weak, and I'm going to obliterate you like the dirty scum you are!" her staff began to glow with a faint light, her body drained.

"Kess, don't!" Reno grabbed her and pulled her back, the staff pulling from the Pirate Captain's shoulder, leaving him to bleed and turn paler by the second.

"Don't tell me what to do, Reno! I'm going to destroy him!" She cried, her body flailing with rage, even as her limbs shook with the effort.

"He's defenseless, Kess. You can't kill him while he's defenseless. You're not a murderer, yo." He said gently, pinning her arms to her sides.

She stopped struggling and collapsed against him. "Thank you, Reno." She murmured as she fell dead asleep. He cradled her and held a hand to the side of her face before scooping her up. "Holy Fuck." He muttered.

He looked over at Tseng, who pointed to a door. "There's a couch back there you should leave her on." Tseng said. Reno nodded, and silently pushed the door open with his back to lay her down.

As soon as the door slammed, Tseng turned back to the Pirate Captain. "And now, my little friend, we need to decide what to do with you." Tseng smiled a singularly unpleasant smile.

The Pirate Captain winced. "Aw, shit."


	41. In which the mission is discussed

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** Dear readers: I still love you! That is all.

* * *

Rude shook his head as he entered the cabin with a cup of coffee. Alcestis was still zonked out on the couch, but Reno and Nereid were both dead asleep on the floor next to her, having remained there the last several hours. To the left of the couch was a coffee table where Yetta was quietly reading over a document from the ShinRa archives, and to the left of her Cyrene was leaning against the wall, asleep after a long day of healing the party of their respective injuries. Everyone was positively drained. Once this was all over, he was going on the longest vacation possible.

Rude sat down in front of the couch, to the right of Reno's sleeping figure. He elbowed his friend, who came awake in an instant, and was standing with his rod in hand looking about the next. Rude slapped a hand to his face. "You're fine, Reno. Nobody's attacking."

"Fuck all, why'd you wake me up?" Reno asked, collapsing on the floor next to him. "Where is everybody?"

"Vincent is with the Captain, watching over our pirate buddy Greybeard."

Reno gagged. "Greybeard?"

"Yeah, I know, right?" Rude chuckled. "The ShinRa files say he's actually registered as Mervin, but I guess Greybeard is his pirate name."

"Mervin? Shit, I guess I'd change my name too, yo. That's an awful name for a pirate." Reno let out a long breath. "All right, whatever. Everybody else?"

"Tseng and Elena are having an argument in the mess hall. Didn't bother to pay much attention, didn't want to get in the middle of it."

"No joke." Reno said. "What about assassin boy?"

"Oedipus? He's out on the deck, brooding and watching for any other ships."

"He's such a weirdo. I'm not sure I understand what he's about, yo."

"Does anybody?" Rude asked, sipping his coffee. "Our team is bizarre, but you can't argue with our effectiveness."

"Our effectiveness at running into the worst situations imaginable, yo." Reno said, stretching. "Seriously, between ancient psychos, talking ghosts, ninjas, blue-haired clones, undead magicians, and fireproof zombies, I'm not sure how much more of this I can handle."

"Truth." Rude replied. "I'm so relieved that Cyrene was a part of our party. Without her healing magic we'd be screwed."

"Hey guys," Yetta called out. "I was reading this document about the library near Gongaga, and something just occurred to me. You remember when the, um… ghost lady was telling us about Ajax?"

Reno turned to see if they had disturbed Alcestis, but she was still sleeping soundly. "Yeah, what about it?"

"She mentioned that Ajax and a flash of rose-colored light were sometimes seen in the forest near Nibelheim. What I want to know is, why, and does it have anything to do with the, uh… well, the zombies there?"

The partners looked at one another, and back at Yetta. "Now that you mention it, I'm almost sure that's related to the zombies being there." Rude said. "I mean, they were all set to attack us, weren't they? And Ajax probably wants us out of the way, right?"

"But why would Ajax have been stuck in the Nibelheim forest, yo? Is that where Narcissa's kingdom was?" Reno thought out loud.

"Unlikely." A fourth voice joined the conversation as Cyrene stood, awake, pulling back her one glove with anxiety. "If the Potestas Summon was lost there, then Ajax could have found it and recovered a long time ago." She shook her head. "No, Clio mentioned that the Summon is still in Narcissa's Kingdom, but Ajax fled the Kingdom and Pandia hunted him down. The Forest is probably the place of his final defeat."

"But what about the rose colored light?" Reno asked.

"My guess?" Cyrene said. "A remnant of Pandia's magic, trying to contain him there. But apparently, he escaped the containment."

The door to the cabin flew open. Tseng flipped the light on, and Alcestis stirred. Reno was about to rip him out for disturbing her, but Elena's voice began shouting.

"No, Tseng! We need to talk about this, this is _important._ If you've got a… a thingy, we need to discuss what it can do, how to use it, and what we're going to do with it!"

"For the last time, Elena, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it before, but I was under strict orders not to mention it anyone, and now I'm sorry I did." Tseng replied, closing the door behind her.

Alcestis groaned. "Sweet Holy, what _now_?"

"You wouldn't happen to be referring to the secret weapon Rufus gave you, would you, dear Tseng?" Cyrene asked, her head inclined.

"What would you know about it?" Tseng asked coldly.

"Only that you have it. Alcestis and I hacked into Rufus's private diary entries back in Costa Del Sol. I assumed that if you had such a weapon you would have the good sense to use it in a desperate situation, so I said nothing. However," She said, her voice the very essence of honeyed venom, her scepter starting to glow threateningly. "We have been through several desperate situations that could have used such a weapon, and now that we have a free moment to discuss it, I'd like to know why it has not been used!"

"Because it wouldn't have done any good." Tseng replied bluntly.

Alcestis rubbed her eyes. "I find that unlikely."

"Tseng, this is ridiculous. With all we've been through, _anything_ would have helped, and you've been hoarding something all along?" Elena said. Yetta glared at him with her.

"Well, we'd all have to agree to suicide beforehand, so I'd just as soon not use it." Tseng replied tersely.

Reno rubbed his eyes. "You know, I'm second in command, and no one tells me a friggin' thing. Tseng, what in the hell does this weapon _do_?"

"Finally, a sensible question." Tseng took a deep breath. "It's a mako mining device."

Rude frowned, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "That sounds pretty innocuous."

"Doesn't it just?" Tseng said, sighing. "Unfortunately, it's a device that will forcibly extract mako from everything in a three mile radius. And, of course since we know now mako is an extract from the lifestream… well, it removes all the mako from everything in its target area, which interrupts the flow of the lifestream through every living thing, and–"

"Results in the death of every living thing in its three mile radius. Is that right?" Alcestis said coldly, shaking with anger and the effort of holding herself up. "Only ShinRa could produce a death machine for the purpose of mining."

"Well, clearly it worked out to be a little too efficient as a mining device, so it was thrown in the ShinRa vault with its only real possible use being as a suicide weapon. I have no intention of using it, so it's really not an issue, now is it?"

"I'm thinkin' the issue is why in the _hell_ did Rufus even give it to you, yo?" Reno asked.

Tseng became very serious as he looked at Reno and replied, "In case all else fails. His exact words to me were 'Whoever is behind this needs to be brought down, and the means are not half as important as the end.'"

"So it turns out Rufus has half a brain, after all." Cyrene said, sitting back down on the floor.

Oedipus entered. "Of course he does. I helped raise him, after all."

"What is it, Oedipus?" Tseng asked tiredly as Elena sat down next to Yetta.

"We'll be arriving at the eastern coast of Wutai in the next six hours. The Captain suggests we all get some rest before then."

"Much obliged." Alcestis said, falling back over and sinking into sleep almost immediately. Reno scratched his head as he looked at her.

"I hope six hours is enough for her." Tseng muttered, allowing Cyrene to examine his broken arm. "I'm not sure we'll make it through this alive without her in operating condition."

"We won't." Oedipus said flatly.

Reno leaned back against the couch to fall asleep once more, muttering to himself sarcastically. "Best. Assignment. Ever."


	42. In which Reno gets a birthday present

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** Dear readers: I love you the most! That is all.

* * *

"Kess Kess Kess Kess Kess Kess Kess wake up wake up wake up Kess–"

Alcestis put a hand over Reno's mouth. "Put a sock in it, Reno. I'm awake. What is it?"

Reno waited for her to open her eyes and find him grinning before sharing his exciting news.

"Today's my BIRTHDAY!" He said. "And we've just arrived in Wutai. I want to get drunk! Tseng says I can have fun for a while, yo. Will you come? I want to wear my pajamas all day and party like I didn't kill eleven pirates yesterday!"

Alcestis couldn't help but smile. His enthusiasm was catching.

Rude walked over and picked him up by his collar. "Let her get up before you attack her, will you?"

"But Ruuuuuude! It's my–"

"Birthday, I know, Reno, I know. Everybody knows." Rude said, letting go of his collar and sighing. "Just promise me you won't get smashed the way you did in Gongaga. I hate it when you sing."

"But I'm a great singer!" Reno said, pouting.

"Maybe you are when you're sober. I wouldn't know about that." Rude said. He looked at Alcestis. "Promise me you won't ever dump him? He fell to pieces when you were hooking up with that douche."

Alcestis mouthed for a moment, half forming words, before speaking. "But I wasn't hooking up with him, he was—"

"I'm just sayin'." Rude said, turning to look at Reno.

Reno was across the room, shaking Yetta wake. "Wake up, Yetta! We gotta go, it's my BIRTHDAY!"

Alcestis laughed. "Is everybody getting a Birthday Reno wake up call?"

Rude nodded. "Oh yes. I was making coffee this morning when he stumbled into the mess hall, saw the calendar, and started raving like a maniac. I guess we all lost track of time during this mess."

"Well, I'm glad we didn't miss his birthday in all this. I'm sure he would have been devastated." Alcestis said, sitting up and trying to smooth out her jacket.

"I'm sure." Rude said. "Anyway, Tseng wants us all to meet out on the deck, to discuss our plans, and figure out—"

"WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR MY BIRTHDAY! WHOO! I'm 22 and better than new!" Reno said, skipping out the door.

Alcestis smiled after him, and began to gather her things. This was going to be an interesting day.

Throwing her bag over her shoulder, she pushed open the cabin door and joined everyone on the deck.

"Good morning, everyone. Feel well rested, Alcestis?" Tseng said as everyone settled in around him.

"I feel like someone hit me with a cannonball, but I'm as well rested as I'm going to be." Alcestis replied blithely.

"You'll feel better! Don't worry, it's going to be a no combat day!" Yetta said, grinning widely.

"I don't know how you keep that attitude up," Elena muttered, massaging her sore neck.

"Just pretend nothing bad ever happened. It's a brand new day!" Yetta replied, slapping Elena on the back.

"Apparently, it's not just any day." Tseng said, resigned. "It's—"

"MY BIRTHDAY!" Reno shouted, wiggling with excitement. "And I say we all go out and PARTY!"

"Calm down, red." Oedipus said, tossing the hair out of his eyes haughtily. "You're driving me batshit."

"We do still have work to do." Tseng continued, trying to pretend he was never interrupted. "But I suppose we can dedicate the better part of the morning and afternoon to…" He sighed. "Reno's festivities."

"Wutai has become quite the tourist trap. I imagine there must be something here for us to do." Cyrene said.

"There better be. The last time we were here…" Rude muttered.

Elena shifted uncomfortably, wincing a little. Being tied to a rock face was not one of her favorite memories.

"Keep in mind that Ajax is supposed to be plaguing Wutai as well, so stay on your guard." Tseng said, changing the subject.

"What about Greybeard?" Oedipus asked, an eyebrow raised.

Tseng stretched a little before answering. "The captain seems to want to take him back to his HQ for questioning. I guess he thinks that with Greybeard's help, however unwilling, they can bring down the piracy ring here in the west."

"Good luck to him," Oedipus said, his tone doubtful.

Nereid was already striding down the dock, away from the ship, Vincent following her.

"It looks like we're departing." Tseng said, mild irritation coloring his tone. "Come on, people, it's a twenty minute walk to the city limits."

Alcestis smiled as Reno let out a whoop and took off running down the dock.

-~-*Å*-~-

There was a collective feeling of relief when they saw the entrance to the city, and the kiosk stationed there to welcome them to the fair city of Wutai.

Reno wandered up to the kiosk, smiling brightly and mischievously.

"Hello, Miss." He said to the young woman behind the counter. "What's fun to do in the area?"

The poor Wutai woman's eyes passed over their party. A sleepy woman leaning on her staff; four people in crisp, clean suits, with firearms at their sides; a pale woman dressed in white from head to toe; a four-legged teal creature with large, pointed tusks; a truly intimidating man in a long, burgundy cloak with a gold claw and crimson eyes; and, of course, the absolutely huge blonde man whose neon yellow eyes pierced everything. She looked back at Reno, who was bubbling with a friendly excitement.

"What's the, er, occasion?" She asked.

"It's my birthday!" Reno announced, eyes dancing.

"Of course. A birthday… party…" her eyes rested uncomfortably on Oedipus, who smiled at her in a not altogether reassuring sort of way.

"Well, there's a… an amusement park… by the temple this week." She said, swallowing and ringing her hands.

"Like a faire? Yes! That sounds great!" Reno turned around to shout at the group. "Come on, guys! I want to hit targets with a squirt gun, yo!"

As they began to walk away, Yetta came to the counter, bubbly and full of cheer. "They're really great people, I promise!" she said before skipping after them.

The lady caught a glimpse of the .45 caliber at Yetta's hip and groaned. Great people indeed.

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis smirked as Reno knocked down his twentieth consecutive rubber duck with the little squirt gun, much to the amazement of the man running the game. Reno's aim was not to be trifled with, and his desire to win the ultimate prize hanging at the top of the stand was overwhelming.

"Watch this, Kess, I'm going to knock down the next thirty, and then I get to take it home!" Reno said, squirting like mad.

Alcestis grinned at him indulgently, still leaning on her staff, now with a pretty multi-colored ribbon Reno had won at the last game. She looked up to examine his desired prize.

It was the largest stuffed bear she'd ever seen. Five feet tall and full of fluff, it was dressed like a Wutai ninja, complete with little fabric shuriken. Its great big brown eyes reflected the sunlight like jewels, and its faux-fur looked as soft as a newborn chocobo's fluff.

Ten minutes later, they were walking away from the stand, and Reno was carrying his new five-foot tall prize.

"I'm gonna call him Hanzou." Reno said, patting the huge plush bear on the head. "Hanzou and I are gonna kick the crap out of the whole world, aren't we Hanzou?"

Hanzou continued to smile and said nothing.

Alcestis laughed weakly, leaning on her staff. "I'm sure you will, Reno. You don't even need me! You can defeat Ajax with Hanzou, and I'll go home and sleep for a year."

Reno turned to her, his blue eyes blazing. "If I thought for a minute it was possible to keep you out of danger, I would, yo."

Alcestis felt the words she had been about to say stick in her throat. She swallowed them down, and smiled. "Too bad I'm determined to see this through, huh?"

Reno smirked. "Too bad you're not determined to see other things, yo." He said, wiggling his eyebrows with suggestion.

Alcestis looked at him from under her lashes. "Who says I'm not?" She said coyly, her lips smirking.

Reno's eyebrows rose as his lips spread wide. "Oh REALLY? Right now? Well, just give me a minute and I will find the nicest hotel in the entire city and—"

"Reno, I'm not sleeping with you."

Reno's face fell. "B-b-b-b-but you just said—"

"Today! I'm not sleeping with you today. I didn't say ever. There's a distinction, Reno."

Reno sulked. "You shouldn't tease me like that. I'm about to explode, yo."

She rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine."

"Kess, this is completely unfair. I find you irresistible. I want to do terrible things to you, and murmur sweet nothings in your ear while I—"

"I really don't think you should finish that sentence, Reno." She said, blushing furiously.

They paused, Alcestis leaning her back against a building, and there was a loud DING! and lots of cheering. Vincent had rung the bell on the "Test your Strength!" Game.

"Come on, Kess." Reno said, pouting.

"Reno, it's not that I don't find you attractive, really, I'm just…" She hesitated.

Reno stared at her expectantly.

"…terribly awkward." She finished honestly.

Reno rested Hanzou against the wall next to her, and leaned over her, his arm placed on the wall. _We're alone for the first time in ages. I'm going to do something with it, yo. _His heart began to thump with fear as he moved his face closer to her ear, nervous that she was letting him so close again, and excited.

She felt his lips brush her ear when he whispered. "You don't need to feel awkward, yo. Everything will come naturally." He shifted his head ever so slightly and kissed the skin just behind her earlobe.

Goosebumps flared up on his body as she gasped. An electric current ran through his lips where they contacted her skin, and zapped him again when he moved his lips farther down, putting light pressure at the nape of her neck.

A small noise, the smallest noise, escaped Alcestis's throat, her eyes closed and her lips just slightly parted.

She knew mages felt connections to their lovers, but she had no idea it was anything like this.

The price of all her black magic, with all its passion and ferocity, descended on her. She froze, knowing that if she moved, she would advance on him so amorously as to shock them both. _Do not move, do not move, do not move, _her thoughts chanted, intermingling with another important thought: _Public place public place PUBLIC PLACE_. She began to shake with the effort of holding still.

Reno wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing his body close, feeling her body shiver. _ If that's not a positive response, I'll kill myself_.

Reno tilted his head, and placed his lips on hers.

It was their first kiss since Gongaga.

The soft flesh of her lips was like a moist silk, sensuous and perfect, moving against his own with a reluctance he was annoyed to register. Alcestis became increasingly aware of the heat of his body, the smell of his sweat, and her desire to taste every inch of him she could reach.

The very tip of his tongue slipped out to grace her bottom lip.

Her arms came up swiftly, pulling him closer, pressing his body into hers with an urgency that neither of them were prepared for. Her tongue graced his lower lip in turn, and there was a fierce burning sensation. Alcestis reflected she'd never known desire before knowing the taste of his lips, the sensation of them under her tongue. Her hands pressed against him, grasping the hard muscle of his back with fervor.

Reno chuckled in the back of his throat with satisfaction, feeling her sudden response, overwhelmed by it. A small smirk graced his lips as he relished her scent, her heat, her taste, the feel of her slim body moving against his, and his hands slowly slid down, processing the simple and perfect arch of her back—

"Aw, gross, can't you two get a room?"

Alcestis pulled back, flushed, with her eyes closed in an all-encompassing embarrassment.

The world deconstructed for a split second, and in that second, an infinite chasm of time opened, and rage poured into Reno's every cell, his perfect moment demolished.

Reno took a step back, and turned towards Elena. She took a step backwards at the fury in his gaze.

"I… _hate_… you…" He said, his nostrils flaring, his eyes narrowed with an intensity she'd never seen before. "I manage to find _five minutes alone_ with an amazing woman on my birthday, my _birthday_, only to have it ruined by some… some…"

Rude rounded the corner and took in the scene. Alcestis looking humiliated, Reno looking furious, Elena looking scared shitless. It was not difficult to deduce what had happened.

"Aw, hell." He muttered.

Rude walked over and put a hand on Reno's shoulder. "Don't. Elena's not worth it."

"But she… but I… Kess and I… FUCK!" Reno said, throwing up his hands in frustration. He walked over, picked up his new ninja bear, and glared at them. "Hanzou and I are going to the concession stand, yo! Anyone who gets in our way, _dies_." Reno announced, marching along with the bear in one arm.

"Hanzou?" Rude asked.

"The bear. That's what he named the bear." Alcestis said from behind her hands, where she had buried her face.

Elena cleared her throat. "I'm, um, really sorry?"

"It's fine." Alcestis squeaked, her skin flushing pink everywhere.

Elena looked at Rude, who just shook his head, and she walked back around the corner, calling Tseng's name nervously.

Rude came over and patted Alcestis on the shoulder. "You okay?"

"I never thought I'd lose control like that. With Reno! In public! In front of _Elena_." Alcestis sighed. "I'm going to die of complete and utter mortification."

"Don't worry about it. Elena's probably just jealous that somebody's getting kissed. Tseng and her aren't exactly cuddly." Rude paused for a moment, thoughtful. "You want a corn dog?"

Alcestis smiled at him, her eyes still baleful. "Thank you, Mr. Shiny."

Rude replied with a small smile of his own, and they followed Reno's path to the concession stand.


	43. In which a Turk sells corn dogs

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** This is a short chapter, but I like it :D

* * *

Alcestis took another bite and chewed thoughtfully, her elbows on the picnic table. "What did you say this was called?"

"A corn dog." Rude said, munching contentedly on one of his own. Reno was buried in his nachos, not speaking. Hanzou was now wearing a pirate hat, one that looked rather familiar. Alcestis could guess where he'd got it.

Yetta sat down next to them, her tray full of donuts. "Okay, look. One of my Turk operatives is working the concession stand. He's been watching out for suspicious activity in my absence."

They all looked over at the concession stand. The Turk was handing out another hot dog. He waved.

"That's a Turk? Really?" Alcestis squinted at him. "That guy? Working at a concession stand?"

"You do what you what you've gotta do." Yetta replied. "Anyway, he says there's a compound that's been training ninjas to the north of the city. The description matches the ninjas that attacked us at the mansion at Costa del Sol, and the ones that have been attacking us while we travel the plains."

"So Ajax's minions are from Wutai?" Alcestis said.

Yetta nodded. "Looks that way. And…" Yetta took a bite of a donut. "…the ninjas all have blue hair."

"Just like the guy who attacked us on the S.S. Cushy." Rude said grimly.

"Precisely." Yetta said. "And the compound, where they're training all these ninjas? It's also a training compound for monsters. Including—"

"Let me guess…" Nereid said from under the table. They all jumped, Reno cursing as he banged his knee into the table. "What? I've been down here for twenty minutes." Nereid said. "But let me guess. The monsters they're training include Zoloms and Gagighandi?"

"You bet! And…" Yetta said, pausing for dramatic effect. "My Turks have infiltrated the compound, and found that those scientists, who have been hoarding their findings? They all work in the basement."

"This compound is almost certainly under Ajax's control, isn't it?" Alcestis aid. "Damn. Yetta, why didn't they contact you sooner?"

"They can't." Yetta said quietly. "Communications have been jammed. There are no signals going to or from the city of Wutai, and no one was allowed in or out until this morning."

"This morning? Like when a lookout could have seen us dock not far from the city?" Reno said sardonically.

"Exactly." Yetta said.

"They were expecting us. The entire city must be under Ajax's control!" Alcestis hissed, gripping her staff.

"Well, we're fucked." Reno said, sulking. "I can see the headlines now, yo. 'Clever, handsome, admired red-headed Turk dies at 22, mourned by thousands'."

"Yeah, your obituary would make the front page." Rude said with a hint of sarcasm, shaking his head.

"What about the Kisaragi dynasty? They wouldn't just submit to Ajax." Alcestis said. "This doesn't make any sense."

"And Godo Kisaragi is definitely still in charge," Yetta added. "Someone must be blackmailing him, or something. I don't see him submitting, either."

"We need in that compound, tonight. We certainly can't spend the night here and expect to make it out alive." Nereid said.

"I've already talked it over with Tseng. My Turks can get us into the compound, and we're gonna do it in the next hour, so get your stuff around."

Yetta and Rude stood to find the others, and Nereid trotted away, sensing Alcestis's sudden need for privacy.

"Reno, about earlier…"

"It's cool. I get it, yo. No kissing. Kissing me embarrasses you." Reno said, poking his nachos.

"Don't be an idiot!" She said, her temper flaring. "Getting wildly aroused to the point of preparing to have sex with you in the middle of a carnival embarrasses me. Nothing about you does. Pardon _me_ if I don't want to lose my _virginity_ amidst _clowns_ and _ninja bears!_" Her voice shook.

Reno's jaw dropped. "You're a virgin?"

"Yes I _am._" She said tersely. She rubbed her eyes. "Is it really that surprising? My last boyfriend died, and I haven't really had the time or inclination to pursue other romantic interests in the interim."

He grinned. "That means I get to teach you all sorts of things."

She rubbed her face. "Of course that's what you would get out of that. Why is my life like this?"

"I always knew you wanted me." He said, back to his usual cocksure self.

"Don't push your luck, Turk." She said, yawning. "If we're doing this in the next hour, then we'd better around. I get the feeling this isn't gonna be easy." She rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand, trying to force herself awake. "What are you going to do with Hanzou?"

Reno patted the bear on the head. "Leave him with Yetta's Turks, I suppose. Maybe I can get him back when this is all over."

Alcestis had a sudden mental image of the ninja bear sitting on Reno's couch, Zan curled up next to it. She smiled.

"Holy, I hope so."


	44. In which Alcestis is paired with Oedipus

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

* * *

"Tseng, tell me you've got a plan for getting out of here." Cyrene said, her eyes on the compound. Standing behind a fence, facing the windowless block of building, made the entire party anxious.

"Yetta assures me that her Turks have a chopper waiting, at an undisclosed location." Tseng replied.

"Undisclosed? Why does that not comfort me?" Alcestis said.

"This way, if any of us are left behind, they can't tell their captors where the rest of us are headed." Tseng replied stiffly.

"No one is getting left behind." Nereid said calmly. "We are all going in, and all coming back out."

"On the bright side, infiltration is quick and easy, right? There's a back stairwell that ought to lead us directly to the basement, right?" Elena said, looking pointedly at Yetta with great hopes as to not be disappointed.

"Correct!" Yetta said with a thumbs-up.

"We just need to put the security cameras on a loop long enough to get close to the building and through that panel. Any volunteers?" Tseng said wryly.

"What needs to be done?" Vincent asked.

Yetta held up a data card. "Just slip this in the data card slot on the camera at the back entrance. My Turks have a pre-recorded loop prepared with a hacking code that they've used to infiltrate the place multiple times." She smiled proudly. "They've done good work."

Vincent took it and leaped off, disappearing from view.

"How the hell does he do that?" Oedipus muttered.

"He's graceful, skilled, and well-practiced. Try not to be too jealous, Ode." Cyrene said with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Cyrene, I am going to shove that scepter right up your—"

"_Enough_. Holy, you're like children." Alcestis said, already exasperated.

Vincent reappeared on top of the fence next to them, crouching and precariously balanced. Rude jumped in surprise. "We're clear." Vincent said seriously.

They took turns scaling the fence, booking it for the edge of the building that Yetta indicated in silence. She tapped out a sequence on a well-hidden panel of buttons, and the expected panel slid open to a dark tunnel.

Reno stepped in first, hearing Alcestis move in quietly behind them. He took two steps before the floor abruptly disappeared, and he found himself suddenly sliding down a steep incline. It was to his credit that no profanity and not a sound escaped him as he slid downwards, coming to an abrupt halt against a padded wall, his face smashed against it.

A gurgle escaped his throat as Alcestis slammed into him, followed by Nereid, Rude, Tseng, Elena, Oedipus, Cyrene, Vincent, and Yetta bringing up the rear after having closed the panel.

"Yetta… why… didn't you… warn us…" Reno hissed, thoroughly squished.

"I had no idea," she replied, rubbing her nose – it had slammed into Vincent's back at such a great velocity that she was sure it was broken.

"How do we open this… wall." Alcestis said, Nereid pinning her legs, Rude draped over her shoulders in an effort to stay upright.

"There's a panel to the right with a single button. Can someone reach it?" Yetta asked, her tie to her nose to stop the bleeding.

Reno reached over in the darkness with his fingers, and pressed down on the little round button as hard as he could.

They spilled out in a massive pile into a dark storeroom.

"This… is the worst… birthday… I've ever had, yo." Reno groaned from the bottom of the pile, muffled by bodies.

One by one, they stood and rearranged themselves, straightening their respective clothing and armor. Tseng began to speak, his tone official.

"We're going to split up, and approach the archive room from different directions. Elena's with me." Elena beamed.

"Vincent, I figured you and Nereid would work well together." Tseng said with all the hesitancy of a leader unsure of how to deal with particular subordinates.

Each of them nodded, silent.

"Reno and Rude are a team." Reno opened his mouth to protest, looking at Alcestis, but thought better of it. He and Rude were a well-practiced team with proven effectiveness.

"Yetta, you are to make your approach with Cyrene. Oedipus, you are to go with Alcestis, and ensure that she is completely safe from harm. She's had a rough enough week, I think."

Oedipus glowered at Tseng, and nodded stiffly to Alcestis, who raised a brow at him. Tseng continued.

"The first team to succeed at reaching the archive and obtaining a data dump, signal the rest of us using these." He began to hand out small electronic devices with a touch-screen interface. "These also have the route you are intended to take. Each pair will leave in thirty second intervals. Reno and Rude, you go first."

Reno and Rude nodded to each other, and Reno gave Alcestis a small smile on his way out. She smiled back, clutching her staff. A moment passed, and Tseng gestured to Alcestis and Oedipus. "You two next."

Alcestis exited with Oedipus, and took a deep breath, setting off down the hall to the right.

-~-*Å*-~-

Alcestis climbed down the elevator shaft with ease, Oedipus directly below her.

"Why did he have to give _us_ the elevator shaft?" Oedipus muttered, his armor quietly clanking with each movement.

"Because he doesn't like you very much, I'm assuming." Alcestis replied with a sigh. She felt naked without her staff, but as she couldn't very well climb with it, Oedipus has stashed it away it somewhere, and it was making her anxious.

"Well, of course he doesn't. I held his position before he did, and no one likes their predecessor."

"You used to be leader of the Turks?" Alcestis asked, incredulous.

"The pre-cursor to the Turks. The first leader of the Turks was Verdot." Alcestis surmised from his tone that Oedipus had not been especially fond of Verdot, either. "And Cyrene held it before me," he added, grinding his teeth. "I was second-in-command until Cyrene went on to become a failed science project."

"So Cyrene led all the missions, and you did… what?" Alcestis asked, bristling at his comment about Cyrene.

"I was Rufus' bodyguard for many years." He replied. "His mother disappeared shortly after he was born, and when his father was at work, there weren't a whole lot of people around available to take care of and protect him."

Alcestis thought she detected a trace of compassion in his tone.

"But you only accepted the position for power, did you not?"

"Initially." He replied with droll, offering no further information.

Alcestis found her curiosity piqued, and she was not in any way intimidated by Oedipus to avoid asking.

"Then what else?"

"I felt it was… an honor to take care of Rufus." He said, his voice steady as though talking about the weather. "He was an astonishingly bright, clever, and determined boy, and it was a pleasure to watch him grow and learn."

"He was also singularly ambitious, was he not? Did he not try to have his own father overthrown on multiple occasions?" She asked blithely.

"His father wasn't much of a father." Oedipus replied sharply, anger coloring his tone. "And anything Rufus chooses to do with ShinRa Company is better than what his father decided."

Alcestis paused before speaking, still climbing down the shaft with vigor. "You really care about him, don't you." She said quietly. It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I do." Oedipus replied stiffly.

"Ha! The fiercesome and deadly assassin of ShinRa company has a soft spot, after all." She said with a smile.

"And it's the only man I ever listen to." Oedipus replied, smirking. "I do what Rufus asks, not because I am required to, but because I want to." He sighed, thinking back. "After my little science experiment, Rufus just squinted at me, told me my eyes looked different, and we went about our day. He wanted ice cream, and to tell me about some girl he had a crush on." He shook his head. "Everyone else treated me like a monster. At that point, I was replaced by Verdot, as President ShinRa decided I was 'unfit' to work with an organization."

"They treated you like a monster? I find it hard to believe you're all that different." Alcestis said.

"Well, everyone sort of knew Hojo was up to something, and when they found out I had volunteered to be a guinea pig, their response was only natural." He said sardonically, now searching for the door they were supposed to be exiting out of.

"But not Rufus." She said. "He just saw you as his caretaker before anything else."

"Except in recent years." Oedipus said. "Rufus has grown increasingly paranoid that the strong that work under him will turn on him, which isn't such an odd paranoia to have, considering how things have been for ShinRa lately. I just wish it didn't extend to me." Oedipus kicked open a door and swung through, helping Alcestis onto the floor. " I don't know why I'm telling you any of this." He said bitterly.

"Because underneath all the mako and the creepy eyes, you're still a human being." Alcestis replied flatly. "And if there's one thing people like to do, it's talk about themselves."

"I'm annoyed that I'm almost fond of you." Oedipus replied, producing her staff and handing it to her. "But you're decent to other people and powerful, which are two things I like universally. Consider yourself lucky."

"I will. I'm glad you're on our little team."

"I'll be glad when I can go out to dinner with Rufus again. When this is over. Now let's move along."

Their little device began to sound off, and a message scrolled across the screen Alcestis peered over Oedipus's massive forearm to read it.

"Data dump a success." And a split second later, "Emergency assistance required."

"Whoever got it must have tripped an alarm. Time to bail them out." Oedipus said, taking off with Alcestis hot on his heels, the sudden spike of adrenaline keeping her together.

"Let's get them and get the hell out of here." She answered. "This place gives me the creeps."


	45. In which Rude shares a little secret

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

* * *

Reno and Rude stepped into the archival room, and Reno let out a cry of joy. "This is it! We can grab whatever they got and get the hell out, yo." Reno sat down at the computer's massive control panel and inserted a data stick. "Data dump in progress, yo."

"Thank Holy. The fact that we haven't run into anyone yet is making me nervous. The sooner we get out of here, the better." Rude said, keeping an eye on the door.

"No worries, this'll be a success." Reno said easily, leaning back in the chair, his hands behind his head.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because fate would not be so unkind as to kill me before I get a chance to bed Kess, yo."

Rude's eyebrows rose. "You really think it's gonna happen?"

"I'm certain. You didn't see her respond to me, yo. It was the most amazing thirty seconds of my life. Just thinkin' about her taste has got my blood flowing." He said, his eyes closed in recollection.

"I'd rather not picture you two getting it on, thanks." Rude said, his arms folded.

"So are you going to ask Tifa out when we get back or what?"

"Tifa? Holy, no."

"Good call." Reno said. "No one wants to date a chick who's hung up on a guy who's hung up on a dead chick. Zero fun factor." Reno shifted in his chair, getting more comfortable. "We've got to find you a girl though, buddy. I can't remember the last time you got laid, yo."

"Well, apparently I'm going on a date when we get back to Midgar." Rude said dully. "Though I'm unsure of whether or not I'm excited about it."

Reno sat up, his eyes wide. "Who?"

Rude glared at his friend. "I don't think I want to tell you."

"Oh, come on. Unless you want a piece of Nereid, I promise to be nice, yo."

Rude sighed. "You promise not to mention it to anyone else?"

"Kess okay?"

"I guess Alcestis is okay." He shook his head, unable to believe he was saying it. "Yetta asked me to go out with her when this is all over."

"Yetta? Seriously? Woooaaah." Reno said, laughing. "You're going to date the sugar bubble, huh?"

"Like I said, I don't know if I'm excited about it or not." He sighed. "But I figure a movie can't hurt."

Reno opened his mouth with glee, about to make a comment, and the computer dinged.

"Got it!" Reno said, grinning. Rude clicked the "Data dump a success" option on their communicator.

Reno pulled the card from the archival computer victoriously. "I got it, Rudy ol' boy. It's time to go."

"Don't call me 'Rudy'." Rude said, adjusting his glasses.

"Time to go? I think not." A man said from the doorway, silhouetted by the light of the hallway.

Reno stared at the man incredulously. "Are you kidding me?"

Rude discreetly pressed the "Emergency assistance needed" option, and grimaced.

"You," the man said, pointing to Reno, "are coming with me. You," he continued, pointing at Rude, "are going to die."

"That doesn't really match up with what we had planned, yo." Reno said, casually pocketing the disc. "Besides, do you really think you can take both of us all by your lonesome?"

Suddenly, several other men appeared, identical to the first. Reno didn't recall blinking, and realized that they had appeared out of thin air.

"They must have panels installed here, just like back on the ship, yo." Reno murmured out of the side of his mouth at Rude.

"This might be difficult," Rude muttered.

The first man withdrew a katana, and all the others followed suit. They sprang into action.

Reno ducked the first slash and brought his rod up into the solar plexus of the offending ninja, shocking him into paralysis.

Or so he thought. The clone was merely pushed back, and then sprang at him again.

Reno sidestepped him and kicked him hard in the ribs. The clone careened into a wall, but was only momentarily stunned.

"These ones aren't independent of the original like they were on the ship, Rude!" Reno called out, realization dawning on him. "As long as the original stays standing, they're not gonna stay down."

"I noticed," Rude replied, slipping under a ninja's guard to grab him by the neck and toss him into another. "But which one is the original?"

"Shit," Reno muttered. He hadn't thought to keep track.

A gunshot sounded, and Reno and Rude crouched out of reflex. Elena was standing in the doorway, a moogle squirming under one arm, her gun held firmly in the other. The ninjas disappeared from view as a single man dropped. Tseng appeared behind her, his broken arm hanging loosely, the sling having disappeared, but a gun held firmly in the other hand.

"The original is the one who won't get close to you," Elena said. "At least, that's what we learned on the way over."

"Kupo!" The moogle struggled. "Kupo kupo!"

"I could have left you in that cage, would that have been better?" She asked it, her lips scrunching to the side of her face.

"Kupo," it replied sadly, its wings drooping as it ceased its struggle.

"You took it out of a cage? Here?" Reno asked, incredulous.

"Well, I couldn't just leave it there!" Elena said, flushing. "Yetta's turks have mined the building, and if we're going to blow it as soon as we get out, I'm not going to let some poor caged moogle die in the blast."

"Let it alone," Tseng advised when Reno opened his mouth.

Alcestis barreled into Tseng's back, Oedipus right behind her.

"Oof!" She exclaimed as she fell back onto Oedipus' armor. Tseng shook his head. "I thought I told you to watch out for her?"

"She's got a mind of her own." Oedipus replied dryly.

"Well, if we've got what we need, then let's get the hell out of here." Tseng tapped the data pad to signal escape.

"Thank Holy. The sooner we get away from awful place, the better. It smells funny in here." Elena muttered, the moogle cuddling up to her now. "Kupo," it said happily, nuzzling her shoulder.

"I – is that a moogle?" Alcestis asked.

"Yes, it is." Elena said, waiting for reproach.

"Aw, I think it likes you." Alcestis smiled. Elena opened her mouth, but closed it and smiled back.

Reno shook his head. Women were weird.


	46. In which there is unique problemsolving

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

**Author's Note:** Re-reading this fic in order to complete it, I notice that the content always seems to teeter between the romance, the threat, and the absurdity of events. I was writing this purely for my own amusement, after all, and I think much of it turned out to be funny, even in the midst of violence and angst. Never is that more clear to me than in this chapter, where Reno solves a problem in a unique and very ridiculous way that deserves a place somewhere in a cheesy action film. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

"This is what you call an undisclosed location?" Elena said, raising an eyebrow at Yetta.

"I told them to move it closer so we can get away faster. That's not an issue, is it? You don't _want_ to get stuck here, right?" Yetta said, shooing her onto the chopper, the windowless block of building still in sight.

"Something isn't right here." Tseng muttered, his eyes scanning the building on the horizon as the others scrambled into the chopper.

"You're right. There were not nearly enough people trying to kill us, yo. Just a few sets of ninjas? Here, in their stronghold? Somethin's up, yo." Reno said, settling into the pilot's seat and throwing the headset on.

Once they were safely boarded, Oedipus helped Alcestis into the co-pilot's seat and slammed the door shut.

The chopper blades began whirring, and they lifted.

"All right, Tseng, where we headed?"

"Rocket Town, Reno. ShinRa has a supercomputer in the aerospace complex that we can use to trawl through the data dump." Tseng leaned back, his skull bumping the headrest lightly. "With any luck, my suspicions will remain thankfully unfulfilled."

Reno dutifully pushed the chopper south-east as fast as it would go. "This place has got me on edge, yo." He muttered, knowing Alcestis would hear.

"I know what you mean." She replied. "It seems like we should have run into more resistance. Since they knew we were coming and all."

"It's not going to matter pretty soon." Yetta chimed in happily, leaning forward. "My Turks have set the countdown for detonation. That building is going to be nothing but a memory in three minutes, once we're far enough to experience no adverse effects from the blast."

"It will be best for the world if that place is wiped off the map." Cyrene murmured to herself, her vision obscured by old memories rearing in her mind.

"Reno…" Alcestis said, her voice very low and serious. "Look back at that building."

Reno craned his head, and muttered. "Oh, shit."

They all turned to look, and found the roof of the building retracting in the center.

"Yetta, tell them to detonate that place _now_," Tseng said, authority ringing in every note of his voice.

"I _can't_. The bombs are on a timer, the command's been locked in." Yetta said, her voice small.

"Is this happening? Is this actually happening right now?" Elena said.

"Kupo." The moogle in her arms said fearfully.

"Looks like it." Rude sighed.

Reno faced forward, feeling sweat bead on his forehead. Maybe they could get away fast enough. Maybe they wouldn't have to deal with whatever was coming if he could just push the chopper a little harder.

Alcestis squeezed his shoulder, and, blinking her eyelids heavy with exhaustion, continued to watch the building. What rose into the air from the building was the last thing she had hoped for, and even worse than she'd expected.

"Reno, I don't think you'll be able to get this thing to go quite fast enough." She murmured. "Because that is a _dragon_."

"Are you friggin' kiddin' me?" Reno yelled.

"I wish." Rude muttered, his eyes widening behind the heavy shades.

The massive beast was a shimmering blue in color, and was bearing down on them with great speed.

"At least we know why getting in and out was so much easier than it should have been." Nereid said quietly, her paws resting on the wall as she peered outwards.

"Alcestis, can you…?" Tseng asked politely.

"I can't do much of anything, no." She replied bitterly. "I haven't had enough rest." She sighed, her thoughts blazing. _And the cost of all my magic is becoming almost too much for my body to bear._

"This isn't a combat chopper, Tseng." Reno shouted back to his superior. "There is nothing I can do to fight that thing off." Reno gritted his teeth. He didn't like feeling helpless.

"We'll just have to use what we've got, and slide open the chopper doors." Tseng said tensely, wiggling the fingers of his broken arm experimentally.

Vincent emerged from the back of the chopper quietly, and began to set up equipment he had found there.

"Vincent, is that…" Cyrene blinked. "A harpoon cannon?"

"Correct." Vincent replied succinctly.

The dragon roared, its breath fogging the windows of the chopper. It brought its tail around, and Reno sent the chopper careening sideways, narrowly avoiding it.

Oedipus gripped the long handle of his lance tightly, and threw the chopper door back, sending it sliding to the side.

Reno ducked the chopper below the beast and brought it sharply up and around, grinding his teeth together.

"Reno, what—"

"Not now, Tseng! I think blondie's got an idea."

Oedipus leaned out the side of the chopper, the wind turning his cheeks pink.

"Ode, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Cyrene said angrily, waving her scepter over Tseng's arm. Tseng gingerly removed the sling and slowly bent his freshly healed arm at the elbow as Cyrene spoke sharply. "What can you possibly do with that lance?"

"Watch and learn." He replied scathingly, and leapt out.

The party watched in horror as he went into a freefall… only to latch on to the dragon's hindquarters. With a mighty swing of his lance, the end of the beast's tail began to fall to earth, twitching and bucking wildly. Ichor poured from its remaining stump, and the great beast let out a piercing scream. Oedipus clung valiantly to one of the spines behind its back.

"Away from the door, please." Vincent said, kneeling in the center of the chopper. Yetta gasped and jumped backward, hanging onto to Elena's seat as Reno sent the chopper circling around once more.

The great beast opened its gaping maw, revealing several rows of very long, sharp teeth, and a very pink throat.

Vincent pulled the trigger, one eye peering through its sight. The Harpoon sunk into the back of the beast's throat mid-roar.

The rope attached to the back pulled at the cannon as the dragon thrashed, fire snorting out of its mouth in vain. The cannon clanged out of the chopper from Vincent's shoulder.

Reno knit his eyebrows together and attempted to bring the chopper back around to the bucking beast's rear.

Oedipus shouted something he could not hear, but Alcestis narrowed her eyes. She pressed a hand against the window, and Oedipus was thrown roughly back into the chopper, his shifting weight pulling at the chopper's direction.

"That harpoon won't be enough to kill it," Tseng said, a muscle jumping in his neck.

"I could shoot at it for you! Not that it would help." Yetta said, smiling nervously.

"I could cry." Elena said melodramatically, sighing.

Vincent examined his fire materia, and let out a long breath. "A creature based in fire will not be harmed by fire."

Reno smiled, turning around to peer at Tseng mischievously. "Worry not, fearless leader. I got this one covered."

Reno turned the chopper to face the dragon head on.

"Reno," Alcestis said calmly, almost conversationally. "What are you doing?"

"Solving our problem, yo." He said with a grin.

He maneuvered the chopper forward.

"A collision? THIS IS YOUR BRIGHT IDEA?" Elena screamed.

Reno was no longer grinning, focused. He sent the chopper spiraling sideways, and the untouched chopper door slammed shut from the momentum.

He pulled back, the chopper went careening around and around. If he could time it just right, then…

And the chopper blades made swift contact, one after another, with the beast's great neck, slicing through muscle and sinew as the blades whirred – _shink, shink, shink –_

The dragon's head began to plummet downwards, its body writhing in death throws as Reno pulled the chopper away, trying to get his bearing straight to head southeast. Black ichor dripped down the windshield, the stench of the dragon's blood overwhelming them.

"The blades are a bit bent, now." Reno muttered to himself. "But we can make it to Rocket Town." He turned to look at Alcestis.

Her face was smooth, composed, with no expression to be found.

"Kess?" He asked, worried.

"I… did you… did you just decapitate a dragon with a chopper?" She asked, her tongue seeming to struggle in forming the words.

He nodded uncertainly, taking in her expression.

"Reno Ferren, the day will never come where you fail to amaze me." She said, facing forward and taking a deep breath.

Reno smiled and nodded to himself. "I am badass of the week, yo."

"Let's just get to Rocket Town as soon as possible, shall we? I have no desire to repeat that experience in case they have something else in mind." Cyrene murmured.

"Quite," Nereid said, padding upwards to lie next to Alcestis' seat.

"On our way, yo." Reno said happily, on top of the world. Kess said he amazed her.

From Elena's arms came a very tired-sounding "Kupo."


	47. In which encouragement is given

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

* * *

Setting down in Rocket Town was thankfully rather uneventful. They all had shuffled tiredly and impossibly into a ShinRa facility, Reno helping along an utterly depleted Alcestis.

They had collapsed here and there on various cots in a store room, the only sleeping space available, with Reno gently helping Alcestis onto a cot before plunking down on one next to her, his elbows on his knees and the heels of his palms rubbing his eyes. "Holy, I never want to do that ever again."

"I assure you, Turk, that should we survive this experience, you will never have to face anything quite so challenging again." Nereid said, lightly hopping onto Alcestis' cot to lay beside her, settling in gingerly.

"Promise?" Reno said blithely. "This is easily the most memorable birthday I could have imagined, yo. I mean, how many people can say they beheaded a flying reptile on their 22nd birthday?"

"Singularly few," Nereid replied, laying her head on her crossed paws. "Which is why you are fortunate enough to be my mage's mate."

"Ha! We ain't mates yet, and ain't likely to be for a while." He laid down, kicking his shoes off and clasping his hands behind his head. "Dammit all."

"You can be mates in other ways," she informed him, closing her eyes. "And before this is over, you will be in more ways than you would believe."

Reno didn't respond, but instead settled for counting the tiles in the ceiling. He couldn't wait to be done with this crap. He hadn't realized it would take so freakin' _long_. _Come on, Planet_. He thought inwardly. _I just want to go back to my meaningless existence. I want to kill more dicks like Don Corneo hanging off the sides of cliffs; this maniac hunting bullshit is not what I signed up for._ He yawned, rolling over on his side, cushioning his head with his arm. _But if we don't do it, who will? It's not like we're going to just let Ajax conquer us._

He blinked, his eyes wandering over Alcestis' unconscious figure, and sighed. _But Rufus wanted it done, and Kess wanted it done. I guess this was gonna happen whether I felt like it or not._

Reno's musings were interrupted by the sudden high-pitched and indescribably irritating chime of Tseng's mobile. Reno sat up as everyone groaned, roused from half-awake states. Alcestis' eyes flickered open and settled on Reno, confused. He shrugged at her in response, and she sighed, shaking her head.

"Sweet Holy, this had better be important." Tseng grunted, fishing it out of his jacket pocket, answering it with a "What?"

Tseng nodded several times, his expression growing more concerned. Reno felt his heart thump. "Yes, understood."

Tseng tucked his ridiculously small cell phone back into his jacket. "Midgar," he began, swallowing. Elena inclined her head, concerned.

Yetta wasn't wearing a smile either. "What is it, Tseng?"

"They've left the city." He said.

Alcestis's brows knit together. "What do you mean, they've left?"

Tseng cleared his throat. "Rufus has informed me that they're gone. All the presence of the Order of the Ancients. The espionage hounds, the army siege, every last trace of them appears to have gone."

Reno was almost certain his heart stopped.

"Which means… shit." Oedipus said, a look very like anxiety passing over his tired features.

"They've either already got whatever they wanted from ShinRa…" Cyrene said.

"Or Ajax has already found the Potestas Summon." Vincent finished darkly, his hand twitching over his gun.

A moment of silence passed as the ramifications sunk in. Reno's mouth set into a grim line.

"Well, we're not dead yet," Reno said, his face fierce. "And that crazy old bastard has still gotta be stopped, yo."

"The red one is right. This changes nothing." Nereid said, blinking slowly. "There is still a job to be done."

"But we don't even know what the summon does! After all this time, all this searching, we still don't know." Elena said. "If it's strong enough to take control of the world, surely it's strong enough to… take care of us."

"And I still have no idea what spell I'm supposed to use to defeat him." Alcestis said suddenly, her teeth grinding. "It's not like I can just ask Pandia. The last time she tried to tell me something, my brain nearly snapped in half." She growled in frustration. "How the hell are we supposed to stop him?"

Tseng cleared his throat, determined. "This does… complicate things. But I think we can all agree that we need to try." He looked pointedly at the black mage. "Alcestis, we've seen what you can do. I, for one, believe you defeat him with our help. I…" he sighed. "I respect you."

"Hey, you kicked the shit out of that live-cadaver. That was something!" Yetta said.

"You stick to your principles." Elena said, her lips twisting as though the words tasted bad on her tongue. "That ought to help."

"You've got the stamina of a monster. You can handle the magic involved, I'm sure." Cyrene commented.

"You're strong without compromising your ethics. That's… admirable." Oedipus said quietly, staring at the floor, lost in thought.

"I wouldn't want to fight you." Rude muttered.

"Your heritage makes you the only one who could. You have all the unique tools and motivation." Nereid said.

Reno felt a smile pass over his features as the praise Alcestis was getting, at the recognition she deserved. He leaned over and grabbed her hand. "And you won't be alone. We'll be there. And I'll be right beside you every step of the way. I can support you. We can kick his lily ass together, yo."

Tears leaked out the sides of her eyes, brought on by stress and frustration and fury and helplessness. "But I'm only human!" she cried, gesturing with desperation. Reno squeezed her hand. She didn't need to feel like this.

"And why shouldn't that be enough, yo?"

She stared at Reno, dumbfounded. Her eyes shining and wide, Reno felt himself lost in them, forgetting that there were other people in the room, forgetting that Nereid was curled in front of her.

Vincent cleared his throat. "Humanity is capable of great things. You are capable. This is simply another task."

"Holy help us, I think the lot of us actually _like_ you, Alcestis." Oedipus said.

"And I've invested far too much time and effort in this bullshit not to see it through." Elena added.

"So shut up. We're doing this. Nobody's going home." Tseng said. "We've got work to do, so everybody catch what sleep you can." He landed on his cot with an almost comical thud. "Holy knows I am."

Reno didn't let go of Alcestis's hand as everyone leaned over, their breathing slowing as rest finally took the room.

Alcestis' eyes remained open and boring into him, but she was so still Reno wasn't sure if she was still awake.

"You really think I can do this?" she asked him suddenly, seriously.

"Of course, yo. Who the hell else?" He replied, his face splitting into a crooked smile. "I mean, I'd have Hanzou do it, but he's all tied up in Wutai."

She chuckled, a ringing sound that made goosebumps flash across his skin. "Reno, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I should say not, yo." He squeezed her hand and let go, pulling off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt, letting his goosebump-ridden skin come in contact with the store room's cool air. He stretched and laid down, his red hair contrasting brilliantly with the clinical white of the cot.

"Reno, you are a work of art." She said, sighing. "One o' these days, I am going to do terrible things to you."

Reno couldn't stop grinning if he tried. "I can't freakin' wait."

He stretched a hand out, as did she, and they drifted off to sleep, their breathing slow, and their dangling fingers touching.


	48. In which the next step is determined

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

* * *

Reno felt something hot and wet slither up the side of his neck, goosebumps rippling down his body, a pleasurable tingling manifesting itself in every corner of his skin. He opened his eyes to find Alcestis smiling gently over him.

"Tell me that tongue was you." He said sleepily, his lips curling upward.

"Maybe," she replied, savoring the taste of his skin.

"Best wake-up call ever, yo."

"Hey, you two." Rude said, handing out bagels. "Tseng wants us to meet him upstairs, in the computational room."

"We're going to have a look at that data dump, huh? I hope we find something," Alcestis said, shredding her bagel with light, quick fingers.

"Don' worreh. All we haf to do ish find Ajaksh and kill 'im," Reno said around a mouthful. He swallowed. "And if there's one thing I love, it's killing douche bags, yo."

She smiled briefly, her heart not in it, and handed him his shirt. He buttoned it up haphazardly in his usual fashion, his brain mulling over how nice a hot shower would feel. He stood and stretched, handing Alcestis her staff, and began to juggle little pieces of bagel on his way up the stairs.

He turned the door handle with his elbow, and found the rest of the party staring expectantly at the screen.

"Excellent, now that we're all in attendance, let's see what their computer archive can show us." Tseng said, sipping a glass of orange juice and gesturing at Reno.

Reno produced the disc, held it up for all to see, and placed it in the indicated slot.

Almost immediately code began to crawl across the screen, numbers shifting and changing every second. A split second later, what looked like a menu appeared…

…in a language none of them recognized.

"Is this a joke?" Elena said, the moogle perched on her head.

"Well, that explains why they didn't care if we copied their archive." Rude muttered.

"It's all right. It's just… encrypted. We need to hack it. Who's got training in computer slicing?" Tseng said, looking around the room, each person one by one.

"I think we've all got degrees in ass-kicking, Tseng. Computer slicing isn't something any of us bothered with, yo." Reno said, yawning.

"This feels like a kick in the stomach. After all that work… I mean, the dragon, and the ninjas, and… " Alcestis said weakly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll figure out something! ShinRa has got resources. We can do this." Yetta said, giving a thumbs-up.

"The bubbly one is right." Nereid said. Yetta frowned. "Surely it is within ShinRa's power to do something as simple as decode computer files."

"Kupo." The Moogle on Elena's head said sheepishly, raising its small little paw.

Nereid blinked. "Really?" She asked it.

"Kupo." The Moogle nodded, flapping its little wings as it flittered over to the computer's interface. It began to dart back and forth, pushing buttons here and there, a look of intense concentration on its overtly cute little features.

In seconds, the screen was in their native tongue, apparent for all the world to see.

"That moogle is the most ingenious moogle ever to have existed. Do we have any cookies? Somebody go find that moogle some damn cookies!" Tseng ordered, and Yetta took off out the door and around the corner.

"Kupo," the moogle said lightly, settling into Elena's arms.

"Aww, you helped us. You helped save the world, you sweet little thing," she said, cooing at it.

"This archive is _massive_," Cyrene said, her eyes processing the file directories so fast they looked as though they were about to pop out of her skull.

"They certainly have just about everything we'd ever want to know," Oedipus said frankly.

"But what we're looking for is… here," Vincent said, stepping forward and selecting a file entitled "Summon, P. Kingdom, N."

The file opened with a handy shot of the researcher who had apparently written the overview, a man with bright blue hair and disheveled clothing, glasses about to slip off the end of his nose. Each of them found themselves scanning the page, taking in as much information as possible.

"'…we have yet to determine the location of the kingdom…'" Elena registered. "So even with their digs, they haven't found it." She pursed her lips.

"'…it appears that there is, however, an ancient dwelling on the island chain of Mideel, that seems to have been disturbed and structurally revamped about the time Narcissa's Kingdom is estimated to have been active…'" Alcestis read quietly, not daring to hope.

"'There is a chamber in this dwelling that appears to have been particularly well attended to around the time of the fall of N's Kingdom. A team will be dispatched there immediately.' Hell yes, yo. We've just got to get to Mideel!" Reno said, turning, excited.

"You realize… the reason Ajax withdrew, is probably because a team being dispatched there means it has what he needs. We'll run into either him or his minions." Cyrene said, pointedly reminding him.

"Well, of course, yo. But that was due to happen anyway, right? But we've gotta get goin', if he gets the summon before we do, we are all screwed, yo." Reno said, stretching. "I am so pumped. Let's do this."

"But if Ajax has already found whatever is there, how do we know it will still be there when we arrive?" Elena asked, stroking the moogle's velvety head.

"We don't. It's all we have to go on, however. The other alternative is that Ajax reaches the Summon before we do, in which case I don't think it'll be terribly difficult to find him." Tseng said thoughtfully as Yetta burst in, offering ten different kinds of sweets to a very delighted moogle.

Elena helped the moogle unwrap a candy, her eyes focused on her little companion as she spoke. "Tseng, how are we going to get Mideel? It's not safe down there, and it's not like we've had great luck on ships."

Everyone murmured in agreement. Between saboteurs and pirates, their luck in that area had not been good.

"Well, we are in Rocket Town," Tseng replied. "I suppose we'll have to get ourselves an airship."

"It's about time," Oedipus muttered. "This constant walking, hijacking, and sailing was beginning to drive me nuts."

"Only beginning?" Cyrene offered, and he glared at her.

"I'm going to get us an airship. Reno, Rude, Alcestis, you're with me. The rest of you, comb through this archive and see if there's anything else we can use." Tseng said, gesturing, and striding off without any adieu.

Making faces at one another, the three he named followed.

"Reno and Rude. You two are required to ensure that Alcestis does not suffer for lack of comfort. You will get her anything she needs, regardless of whether or not she thinks so. Alcestis, you are not to complain."

"Tseng, I hardly think this is—" Alcestis began indignantly.

"It does not matter what you think." He replied curtly. "You have to be the one who lands the killing blow on Ajax. Not me, not Oedipus, not anyone else: you. It is altogether possible we will encounter him at Mideel, and if not Mideel, soon after. You must be well-rested and in as perfect condition as possible. These two do their jobs well. They are to ward you. I've already asked Cyrene to keep an eye on you."

"And what was her response to that?" Alcestis asked wryly.

Tseng's walking ceased at a split in the corridor. "It was colorful, I assure you. She dislikes it when I tell her things she already knows." Tseng rounded the corner and continued walking, leaving the three of them behind. "Take care of her, you two. We've got to get through this alive." He punched an access code into a panel, and the lift door slid open. He smiled at them. "How else will I see the ending to my reality show?" He stepped in, the door sliding shut behind him.

"How indeed?" Alcestis muttered. She turned to her compatriots. Reno was grinning.

"So. I've been ordered to be at your beck and call. Tell me you'll exploit this?" Reno said hopefully.

"If you need me to get you two a room, I'll do it." Rude said, adjusting his glasses. "Holy knows I'm tired of watching you two."

"My beck and call says let's go back to the computer room and have a look at that archive." Alcestis said, setting off to where they came from.

Reno and Rude exchanged looks, each shaking their head. Each came and took one of her arms.

"Tseng said rest, yo, and standing there squinting at the computer screen isn't rest." Reno said, trotting her off towards the store room with the cots.

"How about a nice sandwich?" Rude offered.

"Knock it _off_, you filthy Turks." Alcestis grumbled. "I have as much right to be in there as anyone. They might miss something."

"Have you met Cyrene? That woman forgets nothing, yo, and misses less. Not to mention Vincent is sharp, Oedipus is smart, and Elena and Yetta are both brighter than they act." Reno said.

A voice spoke up from behind them. "My mage, if I may—"

They all jumped, cursing. "Holy mother of – Nereid, where the hell did you come from?" Alcestis exclaimed.

"Please," Nereid said, tutting. "Did you think I was going to let Tseng order you around without being at your side? I'm your familiar, not an ingrate." She shook her beastly head in exasperation before continuing. "If I may, you do rather need the rest. You've been haggard for days. I know – I feel it too, recall?"

Alcestis knelt and placed her hands on other side of the gagighandi's face. "Yes. I suppose I should rest for you, if no other reason. Thank you, Nereid. I'm sure without you here to bear my cost, I would have fainted many times over."

"Or bedded the poor, unsuspecting Turk." Nereid said wryly.

"Unsuspecting?" Rude asked.

"I wish," Reno muttered. Rude rolled his eyes.

"All right then," Alcestis said agreeably. "To bed with me." She made her way to the stairs, descending with Nereid close behind.

"Oh sure, when the monster says it, she listens." Reno said, scrunching up his nose. Rude smacked the back of his head. "What?" Reno demanded.

"Have some respect, moron. She's not a monster. You should be relieved Alcestis listens to anybody." Rude said quietly. "Besides," he added, "You can be the one to check on her later. I'm not going to cockblock you."

"Naw, but she will." Reno said, rubbing the back of his head. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Besides being a pushy jerk? Not really." Rude replied, folding his arms.

"Yeah, I guess I _am_ bein' pushy." Reno said. "But how can I not be? I mean, look at her, yo."

"Will you pull yourself together? She loves you. You already know she finds you attractive. You'll get your chance so just shut it, all right? Holy knows I've heard enough of your whispered conversations in the middle of the night." Rude said, sighing.

Reno felt a rare flush creep onto his cheeks. "Really?"

"Yeah. Like every night." Rude said. "Look, I'm going to go back to the computing room. You just gonna stand there like an idiot, Mr. Chocobo, or are you coming?"

Reno made a face at the nickname and rubbed the back of his neck. Rude was rarely this talkative. _He must really mean it. I guess I am being a jerk, yo_. "Yeah, I'm comin'."

And Reno followed Rude down the corridor, wishing he was headed the opposite way.


	49. In which there's kidnapping

**Obligatory Disclaimer:**

I don't own any characters (or anything else, for that matter) you recognize from Final Fantasy VII, they are all the property of Tetsuya Nomura and/or Square-Enix.

* * *

Alcestis forced her eyes open, feeling hands tight on her shoulders.

"Alcestis, listen to me, we have got to move."

Alcestis felt a burning pain in her eyes as they slowly adjusted to the light, the specters of her dreams slowing draining away as she squinted into the face above her.

"Elena? What's wrong?"

The younger woman bit her lip, her blonde hair messy. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Reno and Rude are missing."

"WHAT?" Alcestis snapped upright, throwing her legs over the side of the cot, Nereid already standing to the side, nodding gravely.

Elena stood more slowly, looking to the side. Tseng approached them, checking that his gun had a fresh clip. "Reno and Rude are missing. We don't know where they've gone, if someone has taken them, or what else might have happened. We're going to very thoroughly sweep the place. If we determine they are not on the premises, we will take an airship to Mideel as we had originally planned."

"Like _hell_ we will!" Alcestis said, holding her hand out and summoning her staff to her hand without looking. "Tseng, I cannot do this without Reno. _Cannot_. If he's not here…"

"Chances are the people who have him are the very people we will run into at Mideel." Tseng replied, turning the safety on his gun off.

"Don't worry, Alcestis. We'll find them. And even if we don't, well…" Elena smiled at her weakly. "They're Turks, they can take care of themselves."

"Worry not, my mage." Nereid said, padding over to her side, claws clicking on the flooring. "The red one is capable, if not always observant."

Cyrene burst in, Oedipus hot on her heels, and the Moogle flitting over to land in Elena's arms.

"They're not anywhere on the upper levels, Tseng." Cyrene bit out tersely. They're either down here, or gone from the building entirely."

"That will make this search easy and quick, then." Tseng muttered half to himself.

Yetta tumbled in through the door, having tripped on the last step in her haste. Vincent caught her easily, standing her upright.

"Report from my Turks back in Wutai." Yetta said, breathless. "Communication has been reestablished and Kisaragi has announced that the 'scourge' of the city has left."

"Right after they left Midgar. They've stopped sieging people with resources." Tseng said, cursing under his breath.

"They must know where the Summon is." Vincent said quietly. "In all likelihood, they are somehow responsible for Reno and Rude's disappearance."

"Because they know that we'll take the time to search them out, and that will delay us." Tseng said, closing his eyes.

"Which means Mideel must be the place to go, if they know we know that's where to look, and they don't want us getting there." Yetta murmured, her eyes wide.

"It's a race to the Summon." Alcestis said, tapping her staff and its pointy tip on the floor. "We've got to find Reno and Rude, and haul ass down to Mideel just as fast as we can manage."

"All right, we've got one last floor to sweep, and it's this one." Tseng said. "Look through every room, open every door, leave no box unopened. Anything that seems out of place is to be reported." Everyone began moving.

Except Alcestis. "They won't be down here, Tseng." she said quietly.

"How can you be sure?" Elena asked, her eyes flicking nervously to the sides.

"Because if whoever did this to Reno and Rude could get down to the basement, and their ultimate goal was to prevent us from going forward, why wouldn't they take me instead?" she said, her eyes on the floor. "Ajax cursed my line, Pandia's line; all of her descendants have died young. I'm the last one. He knows I'm the threat, I'm the one who will come for him. If their goal was to stop us, and they were able to get into the basement, they would have taken me, not Reno, not Rude." She took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh. "Besides, I know Reno's not in the building; I can't feel him anywhere nearby."

Elena's eyebrows shot up. "You can't _feel_ him?"

Alcestis' eyes snapped up off the floor, her expression surprise bordering on shock. "What?"

Cyrene frowned. "You said you couldn't feel him nearby, Alcestis."

Alcestis felt her brow furrow. "I did say that, didn't I?" she murmured. _"_The last link."_ The last link. Happy feelings when the other desires them in you. A physical manifestation of that. Increased sensitivity to their touch. Shared dreams. Being able to sense the other's presence. That's all five._

Tseng cleared his throat. "Well, no matter _what_ Alcestis feels, we're still going to look before we go rushing off to that Holyforsaken island chain where the lifestream has ravaged the land."

The flurry of activity resumed and Alcestis stared at the floor, counting the tiles.

-~-*Å*-~-

Reno groaned as he stirred, his legs shifting aimlessly, his drowsy mind wondering why he couldn't lift his arms.

"About time you came around." Rude muttered.

"Wha…? Rude ol' boy, whatsit going?" Reno said, blinking slowly. "Woah, my head feels like I rammed a brick wall."

"More likely it was rammed into a brick wall." Rude replied.

Reno looked about, his mind finally processing his surroundings. His arms were tied down to his sides by a long length of rope, wrapped many times about his torso. Reno peered at his friend, and found that Rude had the same treatment. "What the hell is this?"

The room was utterly featureless, its walls a blank metal. _A single door off to the side, and 12 square feet of floor space. I'm thinkin' I don't wanna be here, _Reno thought idly.

"What in the fuck is this hunk o' junk, yo? This isn't an airship."

"No kidding?" Rude said. "I'm thinking we've been captured."

"Ah. That would explain the rope, yo." Reno said, casually shrugging, finding that the binding allowed him very little wiggle room. Reno squinted at the door, trying to find some characteristic that would give him an idea of where they were; he realized the edges of his vision were still quite fuzzy.

"I'm thinking," Reno announced dramatically, "we've been drugged." Reno shook his head, bringing on a bout of dizziness that would not cease.

"I came to that conclusion, too." Rude blinked slowly, as though attempting not to tax himself.

"This little box they've got us in is downright clinical, yo." Reno said, attempting to get his legs under him and finding the task impossible. He brought his head forward and allowed it snap back into the wall, his eyes closed and his face scrunched. "I hate the smell of clean."

The door handle began to wiggle, and Reno narrowed his eyes, focusing on the movement, trying to hear the clicks in the lock that might indicate the shape of the key…

The door flung open and slammed into the adjacent wall with a heavy metal _clank_, the intruding man's boots making a similar sound as he entered. Hair of a deep cerulean blue sprang from his scalp in all directions, and Reno recognized his facial structure with its sadistic smile.

He was identical to the man they had defeated on the S.S. Cushy.

"Greetings, vagrants." The man said, revealing too-white teeth, his cheeks shifting into a maniacal grin, altering the shape of narrowed brown eyes. "Enjoying your stay in our little hotel?"

"If you're what we get for room service, I ain't tippin'." Reno said, crossing his legs at the ankle.

"Oh, how clever," the man simpered, snickering. "As you have probably noticed, you are no longer among friends."

"Shit, I think we missed that memo. Did you hear about this, Rude?" Reno said, looking over at his partner.

"News to me. I thought this was a pleasure cruise."

"If this were a pleasure cruise, I'd ask room service to wear a bikini, yo." Reno turned his eyes back to the blue haired man. "You'd look great in a little blue number, you know it? Find a nice bikini to match that hair, and you'd be set."

The man's nostrils flared. "Scumbag." He grabbed Reno's collar, pulling him up. Reno struggled to plant his feet underneath him, finding his reactions slowed from the drugs.

"I need you two to tell me everything you know about the party you were traveling with." The man hissed, his spittle landing on Reno's nose. Reno's eyes slid to the side, catching a glint of steel as he blinked…

"That's pretty tough shit, 'cause we're not tellin' you a damn thing." Reno said with a grin.

Reno saw colorful circles explode in his vision as the man cuffed him, pain exploding and shooting down his jaw.

"Tell me where they're headed now." The man demanded, his voice rising.

Reno spat in the other man's face, the saliva mingling with his blood as it ran down the blue-haired man's chin. "Fuck if I know," Reno said, laughing.

The man threw him down on the floor, Reno's legs collapsing underneath him.

"Did you really think we were gonna tell you anything?" Reno laughed derisively, his mirth carrying a cutting edge. "Honest to Holy, did you? Is your little Order full o' morons?"

"Our little Order grows daily," the man replied, his smile returned. "Thanks to my Master, there are now hundreds, if not thousands of me."

"Clones." Rude murmured, squinting at the man.

"Of a fashion," the man replied. "Ajax's power has allowed us to expand and grow, making perfect carbon copies. Very soon, there will be so many of us that you will be unable to stop us all, and once more this silly little planet will belong to my Master."

As the man turned to leave, Reno began laughing again.

"What is so funny, scum?" The man asked, without turning, pausing in the doorway.

"Your Master is going to get his ass handed to him, yo." Reno said, grinning from ear to ear. "You don't want to fuck with my girlfriend when she's angry."

"We shall see." The man said shortly, pulling the solid door behind him.

A moment of silence followed before Rude cleared his throat. "That was fun."

Reno glared at the door. "Wasn't it?" Reno began to wiggle, the ropes falling from his body like dead snakes.

Rude's eyebrows rose. "How the hell did you manage that?"

"The guy was wearing a knife, and it wasn't in the hilt all the way." Reno replied. "All too easy to piss him off enough to get close to me. Gave me a chance to rub one of the ropes against the knife at his hip without him noticing, yo." Reno smiled, showing bloody teeth. "He was too intent on hitting me as hard as he could."

Reno set to work untying Rude, the larger man sighing with some relief, even as a sense of doom darkened his features. "Even with our arms free, we can't get out of here. There's only that one door, and I'm sure they're not stupid enough to leave it unlocked."

"Maybe not," Reno replied, spitting on the floor. "But we can clean the clock of whoever comes in next, yo." Reno bit his lip as he stood, feeling a little strength return to his limbs. "What I can't figure out is why we're alive at all. We were unconscious in their hands long enough for them to drag us into this little room and leave us here – why not just kill us?" Reno folded his arms as Rude stood, his stance wobbly. "They must need us for something, yo. But what?"

"I recommend we don't stick around long enough to find out." Rude said, rubbing his upper arm to get the blood flowing.

"Agreed, buddy." Reno said, rubbing the back of his neck, finding it sore. "I've got to get back to Alcestis, yo." He murmured, and Rude smirked. Reno cleared his throat. "_We've_ got to get back to Alcestis. I get the feeling all this shit is going to come to a climax real soon, yo."


End file.
